Arizona women strive for first Pac-10 title

Ryan A. Mihalyi Arizona Daily Wildcat Junior backstroke and sprint freestyle swimmer Denali Knapp practices at the Hillenbrand Aquatic Center on Monday. The No. 2-ranked women's swim team heads to Washington today, where the Wildcats are contenders for their first Pacific 10 Conference title.

The No. 2-ranked Wildcats are headed to Washington boasting an overall record of 10-1 (4-1 Pac-10), losing only to then-No. 5 Southern California Nov. 13. This weekend, the Arizona swimmers will get a shot at avenging the loss that scarred their chances at an undefeated dual-meet season.

Since its inception 13 years ago, Stanford has won the women's Pac-10 Championship title in all 12 seasons. However, just one month ago, the UA women upset the Cardinal by a wide margin of 182-112.

"Our girls are going to go into this meet and take care of business like we have been doing," head coach Frank Busch. "From there we'll just see how we do."

Busch said he is not particularly concerned with the idea of getting revenge on the Trojan squad which defeated his team earlier this year, or the Cardinal team that has won each of the last 12 years.

"Everything we do is building towards NCAA Championships," Busch said. "I hope we can win a few (individual) titles this weekend, but (we) just want to gear up for the championships."

Leading the Wildcats into the weekend are junior Trina Jackson and sophomore Lindsey Farella. Jackson is entering the meet with hopes of defending the two Pac-10 titles she captured last year in the 500-yard freestyle and 1,650 free. Farella is the defending Pac-10 champion in the 200 free and swam a leg of the championship 400 free relay.

"In order to do well this weekend, everyone is going to have to contribute," Jackson said.

Individually, Jackson said she has some high goals set for herself.

"I would like to go into Pac-10s and win the (1,650 free), 500 free and finish in the top-three in the 200 butterfly," she said.

Another championship hopeful is freshman Sarah Tolar. Tolar enters the meet as the No. 1-ranked swimmer in the nation for the 200 free, 500 free and No. 3 in the 100 free.

After the meet against Arizona State Feb. 13 where Tolar's Wildcats downed the Sun Devils 181-108, she said she could not be more excited about how her team is performing as of late.

"We have so much energy," she said. "I don't see how we can go wrong."

The UA swimmers will face their stiffest competition with several swimmers from Stanford. The Cardinal are led by 1998 Pac-10 swimmer of the year and NCAA swimmer of the year Misty Hyman. She is looking to repeat as champion in the 100 and 200 flies and the 200 back. Hyman, a sophomore, is currently the nation's fastest in all three of those events.

Stanford's Catherine Fox was also a three-event winner at the 1998 championships. The junior brought home first place medals in the 50 and 100 free and the back and the 100 backstroke.

Aside from individual events, the Stanford swimmers won titles in the 200 and 400 medley relays as well as the 200 and 800 free relays.

California and USC also boast swimmers who will compete with the Wildcats for Pac-10 titles.

For the Golden Bears, senior Elli Overton comes to Federal Way as the defending conference champ in both the 200 and 400 individual medley. The time she recorded last year in the 200 IM (1 minute, 58.25 seconds) is a Pac-10 Championship record.

The top Trojan swimmer for USC is senior Lindsey Benko. Benko finished second in the 200 back, third in the 200 free and sixth in the 500 free. This year, her time in the 500 free (4:44.29) is the third fastest in the nation.

"This weekend is going to feature a bunch of talented swimmers," Busch said. "We have great group of girls that are very excited."