The latest chapter of the UA-ASU rivalry was a one-sided affair, with the Arizona swim and dive team leaving Tempe resoundingly victorious.
The No. 3 men and No. 2 women both finished their dual meet season with easy wins. The men prevailed 212-87, while the women won 196-102 at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center.
On the men’s side, many of the UA swimmers put on dominating performances. Senior co-captain Jordan Smith individually won both the 100-yard backstroke and 100y freestyle. Smith also was part of the winning 400y free relay team.
“”My swims were great for this time of the year,”” Smith said. “”I’ve been consistent with my times all season long, which is a good sign for the championship season.””
Sophomore Adam Small, a Tempe native, was part of the winning 400y free relay team earlier in the day and recorded a victory in the 50y freestyle with an impressive time of 20.66.
Former Sun Devil and now UA junior Marcus Titus returned to his old stomping grounds and finished in first place in the 100y breaststroke. The UA men had the top four finishers in the event.
The UA men also dominated the 500y freestyle as they finished with the top four finishers in the event, led by sophomore A.J. Tipton.
Fresh off winning Pac-10 diver of the month for January, junior Ben Grado carried his success over into this month. He won the 3-meter event with a season-best score of 414.60. Grado also finished second in the 1-meter event.
The women’s team also featured many great performances including those of sophomore Alyssa Anderson and senior Annie Chandler. Anderson was victorious in the 200y freestyle, while Chandler won the 100y breaststroke.
The women are now 8-2 on the season in dual meet action, while the men finished with a perfect 7-0 record.
“”It feels great knowing we’re undefeated going into conference and then onto the NCAA championships,”” Smith said.
Both teams will prepare for the Pac-10 championships in Long Beach, Calif., but the real goal is down the road.
“”Going to Pac-10s, I think we are going to see some really fast swimming from the team, but our focus is on the national championship,”” Smith said. “”And that’s where you’ll see everyone competing at their best.””
Smith and the rest of the UA men will be looking to capture their second national championship in three years.
“”The team definitely has the same feeling we had in ’08 when we won a national championship,”” he said.
