Team looking to dive into Husky Invite

It was almost a month ago that the Husky men's swimming team hit the water to compete. Between the Big West Shootout in early November and today's Husky Invite, the men's squad has had 25 days to prepare and rest.

Team members are itching to compete and to improve their standings

"They're really focused on this meet," said coach Mickey Wender. "They'll have good competition from Calgary."

Unlike the women, who are ranked 22nd in the nation, the men have not had as many opportunities to compete. Although Wender realizes the men are not ranked, he expects them to be so later in the season.

"It's typical for the guys to come around a bit later," said Wender.

Both the men's and women's squads will head 30 miles south today to the Weyerhaeuser Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Wash., to race against more than 500 swimmers from around the nation and Canada for the 57th annual Husky Invite.

The competition will be comprised of American and Canadian universities and private swimming clubs that feature high school students and post-university swimmers. Included in the 500 swimmers are Olympic-caliber swimmers.

"It's exciting to have a group as well prepared as they are," said Wender of the men and women.

On the men's side, standout Bruno Barbic is expected to switch to faster gears. Barbic has sat dormant for most of the fall season. The sophomore excels in multi-day tournaments and should be one of the leaders of the UW, said Wender.

Both sides of the age spectrum should be on full display for the women's squad. Freshman Kimberly Jasmer has been conjuring times that should put her on track for NCAA competition later in the season. Senior Sharon Olson is one of the perennial leaders for the women and is expected to compete for top prizes at the invite.

Wender will use the tournament to size up his team. Multi-day tournaments are very different from dual meets, he said. Formats for tournaments like the Husky Invite demand that swimmers race their best times several times in short spans of time. Such demands usually serve as a learning experience for newcomers. Wender said he would also study relay teams to find the right combinations.

"They're really excited about the possibilities," said Wender. "Expect them to swim really fast. We might see NCAA-qualifying times."