Arizona is expected to battle California, Stanford and Texas for the national title at the NCAA Men's Swimming Championships, Thursday through Saturday in Federal Way, Wash.
The Wildcats were undefeated in the dual meet season and finished third at the Pac-12 championships. They qualified 17 individuals for the national meet.
Arizona's top contenders for individual honors are Cory Chitwood, Carl Mickelson and Austen Thompson.
Chitwood, a senior from Union, Ky., is a two-time national champion in the 200 backstroke. He has the nation's top time in the 200 backstroke and 200 individual medley and also ranks third in the 100 backstroke.
Mickelson, a junior from Chandler, won the Pac-10 championship in the 100 and 200 breasttroke. He ranks first nationally in the 200 breast and third in the 100 breast.
Thompson, a senior from Chandler, ranks first in the 400 individual medley, second in the 200 breast and sixth in the 200 IM.
Mickelson's competition in the 100 breaststroke will include teammate Kevin Cordes, a freshman from Naperville, Ill., who has the nation's best time in the 100 breaststroke.
Other high-ranking Wildcats include:
Senior Kelley Wyman, ninth in the 100 breast, 11th in the 50 free.
Senior Kevin Munsch, 10th in the 200 breast.
Sophomore Michael Sheppard, fifth in the 200 back.
Sophomore Mitchell Friedemann, second in the 100 back.
Junior Sam Rowan, ninth in the 400 IM.
Sophomore Matt Barber, fifth in the 500 freestyle.
Senior Adam Small, seventh in the 50 freestyle.
Sophomore Giles Smith, seventh in the 100 butterfly.
The Wildcats also qualified a pair of divers: Senior Ben Grado, a three-event winner at the Pac-12 Championships, and senior Andres Guerra.
