The Arizona swim and dive teams host in-state rival ASU in their final dual meet of the season tomorrow at 1 p.m. at the Hillenbrand Aquatic Center.
The last time these two teams met, during the 2003-2004 season, the men's and women's team both overtook ASU. The men won 169.5-128.5, and the women prevailed 170-130.
"The Sun Devils always swim well against us and swim fast. I won't anticipate anything different (this weekend)," said Arizona men's swim and dive head coach Frank Busch.
Busch said that the meet this weekend will act as a kind of tune-up for the swimmers, saying that the team is feeling better in the water.
Busch also said that last weekend's rest and relaxation has benefited the team, after having competed in a number of consecutive weekends.
"The team is really focusing on what's coming up," Busch said. "They are in a conference and NCAA Championships mentality."
The Wildcat men are currently ranked eighth, and the women are ranked sixth. The ASU men's team boasts a top diver in junior Joona Puhakka, a reigning NCAA champion.
"I think that we will win the meet, but the diving will be competitive. With the defending national champion, it will be a good meet," said junior diver John Collier.
In addition to Puhakka, the ASU men have fourteen of the NCAA's top twenty individual times on the season.
Busch said that swimming this weekend is just a chance for faster times going into the conference meets. He added that the team has long had their minds on the tail end of the schedule.
"We are a confident team," Busch said. "Our eyes have always been on the end of the year. This meet is just an opportunity to wind up and let loose."
This weekend marks the last home meet for the Wildcats this season and the last meet of the regular season. Competition in the Pacific 10 Championships starts Feb23. in Seattle for the women's team and March 2 in Long Beach, Calif., for the men's team.