With the Pacific 10 Conference Championships right around the corner, the No. 3 Arizona men’s swim team and No. 4 women’s team head to California to put their training to the test.

“”We’re gonna be tested. These are both great teams we’re swimming against,”” said head coach Frank Busch. “”Historically, we don’t beat (California and Stanford) in dual meets.

“”Stanford has a phenomenal program. The Stanford men have won something like 26 straight Pac-10 titles, so they obviously take the conference season very seriously,”” Busch added.

At last year’s NCAA championships, the Stanford teams finished second (men) and fourth (women), the California teams finished eighth (men) and third (women) and Arizona placed third (men) and second (women).

“”This is an opportunity for us to race two of the best Pac-10 teams and we get to do that back-to-back on their own turf so that’s kind of a big deal,”” senior Lacey Nymeyer said. “”It will be a good weekend for racing and I think we’re gonna go in there and not think about our past results, but look forward so we can throw down the best swim we can.””

With the level of swimming expected to be the highest both Arizona teams have faced this season, this weekend’s dual meets should provide a good measuring stick for all Arizona swimmers to gauge where they stand and how their training has progressed.

Both the Golden Bears and the Cardinal have swimmers who have raced in the Olympics, as do the Wildcats, so each team’s depth in every event will be put to the test in what could be the most competitive weekend of swimming for Arizona so far this season.

“”It’ll be tough. Every time we race them it seems like we’re coming off of our Christmas training so they’re a little more rested than us,”” senior Albert Subirats said. “”We’re just hoping to race hard and come away with something positive.””

Their main focus will be on racing hard, but at this point in the season posting low times is not high on the priority list because Arizona has already qualified several swimmers for the NCAA.

“”I think we’re going in there looking to race right there with them,”” Nymeyer said. “”We just need to look at them eye-to-eye and get in there and go.””

If Arizona is able to hold its own this weekend despite being worn down, it can only bode well for its title chances in the Pac-10 and NCAA championships.

“”Just racing is so important,”” Busch said. “”To get up on the blocks and race some really good competition, for us right now, that’s everything.””