Today marks the beginning of the 2004-2005 ASU men's and women's swimming and diving dual season. The Sun Devils get things started at home when they take on UNLV at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center.
The myriad of experience residing on the Sun Devil roster will be the key to their attack this early in the season. Fifteen letter winners and five All-Americans return to NCAA competition for ASU, as well as Pac-10 champions Florencia Szigeti (women's 200-meter freestyle) and Trisha Tumlinson (3-meter springboard).
"The key to the season is that we use the experience that we have returning to fill the critical spots," said head coach Michael Chasson.
In fact, the younger members on the squad have already begun to show their potential. In Saturday's intrasquad pentathlon meet, freshmen CJ Nuess and Caitlin Andrew took first place in the men's and women's divisions.
UNLV will use its own veterans to give the Sun Devils some tough competition. Jonathan Hugo and Adam Martinson both hold Mountain West Conference titles for the men.
Also, the Rebels return all four members of their three-championship relay team.
On the women's side, Julie Babin (400 individual medley) and Jessie Bradshaw also return to the water currently holding conference titles.
The Sun Devils will try to get their season started on a high note against UNLV, and then head east to Indiana for their first road trip when the men and women take on Purdue on Oct. 29.
Reach the reporter at jason.Samuels@asu.edu.
