NCAA swimming title up for grabs

It's that time of year again in the NCAA - time to find out who will wear this year's crown as the No. 1 team in the nation.The best team in women's swimming and diving will be decided this weekend in Athens, Ga.

Though dozens of schools will be represented, only Georgia, Stanford, Arizona and Southern Methodist are legitimate bets to take the title.

While outmanned in contention for the title, the eighth ranked Wolverines have the potential to pull out a top five finish and be the Cinderella of the championship.

Here are the contenders at a glance:

Georgia: Home pool advantage should bode well for the Lady Bulldogs and might be the right intangible to put them over the top. Having defeated reigning NCAA champion Stanford earlier in the year, 187-113, the Bulldogs are the favorites to wi

KRISTIN GOBLE/Daily Sophomore Missy Sugar and the rest of the Michigan women's swimming team will hope to play Cinderella in this weekend's NCAA Championships.

n the title this year.

Leading the Bulldogs is Olympic gold medalist and defending national champion and record holder in the 100-yard breast stroke (59.05) Kristy Kowal.

The Bulldogs don't boast a championship history, but they are the best bet to dethrone the perennial champions.

Stanford: In terms of coaching prowess, Stanford is still the best in the sport. Head coach Richard Quick holds a total of 12 NCAA titles- seven at Stanford and five at Texas. The current coach of the U.S. women's swimming team, Quick and the Cardinal are fresh off an 11th-straight Pac-10 title.

The top swimmer on the team, and in the nation for that matter, is sophomore Misty Hyman who won three events (the 100-and-200-yard butterfly and the 200 back) and captured NCAA swimmer of the year honors at last yearís meet.

The Cardinal lost badly in duals to Georgia and Arizona this season, but they are still capable of their usual dominance.

Arizona: Though third-place finishers in the elite Pac-10, Arizona's No. 3 national ranking is no stretch. The Wildcats posted the nation's top recruiting class last year.

Junior Trina Jackson may be the best distance swimmer in the country and should cruise in the 1,650 free. Otherwise, the freestyle is Arizona's forte - freshman Sarah Tolar is ranked first in the country in the 200 free and sophomore Lindsay Farella teams provides an excellent compliment in the 400 free relay. The 200 free relay is the nationís fastest time (1:31.78).

Although they will challenge for the title, Arizona may still be a year or two away from winning this one.

Southern Methodist: The women's swim team could thrust the school name back into national favor with a win at the NCAAs.

The Mustangs are led by one of the most prolific performers in NCAA history - Martina Moravcova. The senior owns seven individual NCAA titles and ranks fourth all-time in that category. She has won the last three straight 200 free titles and will look to make it four straight this weekend.

SMU features the most formidable 1-2 diving punch in the NCAA, Jenny Lingamfelter and Kristin Link.

More importantly, SMU captured all 21 first-place finishes in the WAC conference meet - a first in NCAA swimming history.

Look for SMU to fire up for this one and possibly make everybody forget about Eric Dickerson.

This championships looks to be the most wide-open in years. While Georgia appears to be the easy pick, swimming at home, any of these teams has the potential to win the title if they swim at the tops of their game.

03-17-99