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Awards roll in for swim teams

UA nabs 7 Pac-10 individual honors after outstanding men's, women's seasons

The Arizona swimming and diving team had its most successful season in school history, and now they have a slew of recent postseason awards to show that.

Tom Hansen, Pac-10 commissioner, announced last week that Arizona won seven individual awards, which were voted on by the conference coaches.

Head coach Frank Busch was named the men's and women's Pac-10 Coach of the Year. This was the first time in the history of the Pac-10 conference that a coach was honored with both awards in same season.

Busch said these awards are indicative of the success of Arizona's program.

"These awards show how successful our team was this season and it shows what a tremendous coaching staff we have," Busch said.

Busch led both teams to their school-record finishes, as the women placed second and the men ended up third in the country.

Also, the men's and women's head diving coach, Michele Mitchell-Rocha, was awarded Pac-10 men's Coach of the Year. Mitchell-Rocha had three top-10 finishers at the Pac-10 Championships, and she guided the men's team to their third-place finish at the NCAA Championships.

"This is a really good reflection of how good our coaches are," junior diver Lindsay Berryman said. "It is good that she gets the recognition that she deserves."

Mitchell-Rocha said this award puts Arizona on the map across the country, being that the Pac-10 is the strongest swimming and diving conference in the nation.

"Our program was on a bit of a hiatus and this award shows everyone that we are a program that is on the rise," Mitchell-Rocha said.

Besides coaches, two swimmers and one diver were also given awards.

Senior All-American Ryk Neethling was honored as Pac-10 Swimmer of the Year. This is the fourth year in a row that he has claimed this award.

"Ryk is an absolute amazing swimmer and winning the award four years in a row is unbelievable," Busch said.

Besides Neethling, David Wharton of USC is the only other swimmer to win the award four straight years, as he accomplished this from 1988 to 1991.

This award is just the latest honor added to Neethling's long list of accomplishments, as he owns nine individual national titles, the third most in NCAA history.

The men's awards did not stop at Neethling, as sophomore Ruben Vaca was named Pac-10 Diver and Newcomer of the Year.

Vaca won two individual titles at the Pac-10 Championships and placed ninth in the nation in the 1-meter platform.

"Ruben is the backbone of our program," Mitchell-Rocha said. "He is also the leader of our team."

The women's team also received one individual award, as freshman Beth Botsford was honored as Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year.

Botsford was a key component in the women's first ever Pac-10 title and a second-place finish at nationals. Botsford also won a national title in the 200 backstroke with an American record time of 2:06.70.

"Beth means a lot to our women's program," Busch said. "Knowing her, she is going to continue to improve and have three more years filled with a number of individual accomplishments."

Busch wasn't the only Pac-10 coach to take notice of Arizona's individual program.

"They are tough competitors," California head swimming and diving coach Nort Thornton said yesterday. "Over the years our program has given them much respect. Frank (Busch) has done a great job and they are defiantly one of the top swimming programs in the nation."