[Wildcat Online: Sports] [ad info]
classifieds

news
sports
opinions
comics
arts
discussion

(LAST_STORY) (NEXT_STORY)


Search

ARCHIVES
CONTACT US
WORLD NEWS

Women ready for national championship


[Picture]

Wildcat File Photo
Arizona Daily Wildcat

Arizona sophomore Beth Botsford enjoys a moment under water this spring at the Hillenbrand Aquatic Center. The UA women's swimming and diving team will be one of the favorites this season to capture the national championship.


By Chris Martin
Arizona Daily Wildcat,
July 26, 2000
Talk about this story

Arizona Summer Wildcat

Men face new challenges after graduation of Neethling

UA swimming head coach Frank Busch is a realistic man, so when he says the women's swimming and diving team has a very good shot at win the national title, expectations are clearly on a championship level.

"I would think that are women would contend again for a national championship," Busch said. "The women are definitely strong enough to contend."

Though the women are a young team comprised mainly of freshman and sophomores, a pair of sophomores - Beth Botsford and Amanda Beard - will lead the way as UA tries to improve on their second place finish at the NCAA Swimming and Diving National Championships last season.

Botsford won the NCAA championship in the 200-meter backstroke with a U.S. Open record time of 2:06.70.

The duo earned a total of eight All-American honors between them and Botsford was named the Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year.

With all her success, Botsford is focused on having fun, not on the pressure to succeed.

"I don't feel the pressure because I am enjoying myself," she said. "I want to improve that's my goal."

Other key additions to the Wildcats will be the return of Lindsey Farella who redshirted last year and the arrival of a strong freshman class, headed by Diana Munz.

"The class that is coming in on the women's side is real solid," Busch said. "Diana Munz is ranked No. 1 in the world in a couple of events, she is a distance swimmer mostly. 'Munzie' is going to make a big impact."

Munz will most likely compete for the United States in the 2000 Summer Olympics and not be able to compete for the Wildcats until the second semester.

The women's team which is guided by championship aspirations is in a vastly different position than that of the men's team which is rebuilding after the losses of key swimmers Ryk Neethling, Matt Allen, Rob Henikman, Coley Stickels and Nat Lewis to graduation.

"We have not lost that many athletes on our women's side but on our men's side we have lost over half our team to graduation," Busch said. "The men will have a tremendous amount of inexperience, however there are some very talented people coming in."

The incoming athlete with the biggest shoes to fill will most likely be senior Tyler Painter, a transfer from the University of Kansas.

Painter will try and fill the void left by Neethling, who was the four-time Pac-10 Swimmer of the Year. Neethling was the most decorated athlete in UA history winning nine NCAA championships.

The loss of Neethling also leaves a large void in terms of leadership which the team will be hard pressed to fill, as Neethling had cast a strong influence over the team.

"We are going to have to look by that and realize that we are still a great team," junior Roland Schoeman said of Neethling's departure. "I think we are looking to keep up the pace but we are bringing in some really good swimmers."

The men's team will expect big thing out of Schoeman who is currently ranked No. 1 in the world in the 50m freestyle.

Schoeman was an All-American in seven events last year but will be unable to participate for Arizona until the second semester because he will be swimming for South Africa in the Olympics.

"We have a great nucleus of guys we can build around and they will need to point these new guys in the right direction," Busch said.


(LAST_STORY) (NEXT_STORY)
[end content]
[ad info]