Wildcats take on rival ASU for season’s final dual meet
The Arizona swimming and diving teams hope to crown their dual meet season with one final win when they compete at ASU tomorrow at 1 p.m.
The Wildcats’ No. 6 men’s team and No. 7 women’s squad take on the Sun Devils’ No. 23 men’s team and unranked women’s squad at the Plummer Aquatic Center.
The Sun Devils boast the 2005 NCAA champion in senior diver Joona Puhakka. Puhakka was named the NCAA Diver of the Year and is a four-time NCAA champion, winning both the 1- and 3-meter diving competitions last year.
Despite all these accolades, senior diver John Collier beat Puhakka last year.
“”You are always at a disadvantage when you are not at your own pool,”” said Arizona diving head coach Michele Mitchell-Rocha. “”We are getting to the meat of the matter. The last meets have been a good indication for the rest of the season.””
– Allison Hamila
Track stars look forward to Husky Invitational
With just four more indoor meets until the NCAA Indoor Championships, the No. 7 men’s and unranked women’s Arizona track and field teams will look to keep the momentum going when they compete at the Husky Invitational in Seattle tomorrow.
The Wildcats are trying to build on a season in which 11 athletes have qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships, said Arizona head track and field coach Fred Harvey.
Traditionally the Wildcats track and field team has been more of an outdoor program than an indoor program, Harvey said, so the success has been quite outstanding.
“”We’ve never had this many qualify for the national championships before,”” he said.
Harvey said he hopes the Husky Invitational will provide even more opportunity for the Wildcats to improve their marks.
“”It’s going be, up to this point, the most difficult competition we’ve had,”” he said. “”It’s going to be quite a test all around for our athletes.””
– Cassie Blombaum
Women’s tennis looks to keep streak going
The No. 58 Arizona women’s tennis team returns home this weekend after a sweep in Texas last week.
“”Every win builds our confidence further,”” freshman captain Danielle Steinberg said.
The Wildcats (5-0) play host to Cal Poly (3-2) tomorrow with the first serve set to take place at 11 a.m. before facing No. 48 Denver at the same time Sunday.
“”We are pretty confident at home,”” said Steinberg. “”We know we can win this weekend.””
Arizona head coach Vicky Maes said she reminds her team before every match that they might not play as well as they have been playing. With an undefeated record, that is about the only concern the team has right now.
“”We are as ready as we can be and couldn’t have prepared anymore,”” Maes said. “”The girls are doing really good.””
– Katie Miller
