By Katie Miles
Arizona Daily Wildcat
The Arizona swimming team is hot on its competitors' heels in the race for the Pacific 10 Conference championship, but several questions remain for the team to answer.
Will the men's team be able to pull together to compete at its peak performance? Will sophomore Craig Brockman win another title in the 200-yard freestyle? Will Chad Carvin be able to keep his Pac-10 title?
The UA is set to answer these questions and any others that critics might have for them as the team travels to the Pac-10 championships in Long Beach, Calif., this weekend.
"I think that we should have a similar finish in the Pac-10 as the women's team did. About half of the team is shaved for this event," said Wildcats head coach Frank Busch.
The men's team has a positive outlook about this weekend's competition.
"They are really excited about this," Busch said. "The people that have already qualified for the NCAAs are taking this meet as a warm-up. The other half of the team is somewhat nervous and excited as well because they want to qualify along with the rest of their teammates."
Some Wildcats to watch are NCAA and Pac-10 champion Carvin, backstroke specialist and senior captain Cezary Nadecki and freestyle/butterfly sophomore Oliver Lampe.
Many people are probably wondering whether or not the men will do just as well as the women did last week in Seattle, where they finished in fifth-place.
"I think that it is going to be a little harder for the guys basically because the competition will have a few more guys that will be shaving for this meet," Busch said. "Do not get me wrong, I think that this team is capable of anything, but it will just be more of a challenge."