Search

ARCHIVES
CONTACT US
WORLD NEWS

Swim teams out for revenge

For members of the Arizona men's swimming and diving team, tomorrow's dual meet against Arizona State University in Tempe will have more implications than the last dual meet of the season.

The second-ranked UA men's team will try to redeem itself after an unfortunate incident that cost the team a win in last year's meet.

In that meet, Arizona and ASU were tied entering the final race of the meet, the 400 free-style relay. The Wildcats and Sun Devils were neck-and-neck through the first 350 meters, but Arizona prevailed in the last 50 meters and won the race.

The celebration was short-lived, though, as the Wildcats forfeited the victory after some swimmers jumped into the pool to congratulate their teammates before the ASU team had finished. Arizona lost the meet, 150-143.

"ASU wound up winning the meet last year on a miscue by our team," junior Scott Gaskins said. "As a team, we know that we are deserving of our No. 2 ranking, and we know we are capable of being No. 1. We want ASU to know that we are the team to beat in the Pac-10."

Arizona (5-2, 2-1 Pacific 10 Conference) will be led by senior Ryk Neethling, who will be competing in his last dual meet. Other Wildcats to watch for include senior Matt Allen, junior Jay Schryver and sophomore Roland Schoeman.

The UA women (8-2, 3-1 Pac-10) will be led by the freshmen duo of Amanda Beard and Beth Botsford, who have both been dominant in Pac-10 competition.

"Since we have raced against them before, we know what we have to do to win," Beard said. "Being it is ASU, we will be swimming with a little extra effort, and we are just going to go out and have fun."

The eighteenth-ranked Sundevil women are coming off a victory over Northern Arizona.