The ASU men’s swimming team will take on tough competition this week as it heads to Long Beach, Calif., to swim in the 2010 Pac-10 Championships.
The Sun Devils (2-7, 0-4 Pac-10) will compete against UA, Stanford, USC and Cal.
ASU assistant swimming coach Simon Percy said this is a rebuilding year for ASU and doesn’t anticipate the team winning the top spot.
“We’re at a place to be fast with personal bests,” Percy said. “We’re rebuilding for next year.”
Percy said he thinks that swimmers will place well on an individual basis. He said he expects senior Max Laney and junior Adrian Kirkpatrick to have strong performances.
In his final regular season meet against UA, Laney placed first in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:46.79. He also placed second in the 200-yard intermediate medley.
Kirkpatrick won first place in the 150-yard freestyle against Carthage College and Saint Louis, clocking in at 1:17.14.
“The upperclassmen will do a nice job,” Percy said.
Percy said he has high expectations for sophomore Xavier Mohammed and freshman Caleb Veazey.
Mohammed has proven to be a versatile swimmer for ASU.
When the Sun Devils competed against USC, Mohammed totaled three wins, winning the 200-yard fly, the 200-yard backstroke and the 200-yard IM.
Veazey’s most recent win against the Wildcats was in the 1,000-yard freestyle, where he finished first with a time of 9:23.81.
The main goal for the Sun Devils is to swim their fastest and earn NCAA qualifying “A” times. The swimmers also want to place with a personal-best time.
The points the men’s diving team earned last week during its Pac-10 Championships will apply toward the ASU men’s team total score.
The Pac-10 Championships will last from Wednesday through Saturday.
Reach the reporter at nklauss@asu.edu
