Arizona State Aquatic Teams Open Season with Annual Maroon and Gold Intrasquad Affair

TEMPE, Ariz., October 1. ARIZONA State University swimming and diving announced it is set to get its season underway today, Friday October 1 at 3:00 p.m., with the annual Maroon and Gold Intrasquad meet at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center.

The intrasquad meet features the men's and women's squad broken down into two teams each, with the men's maroon squad competing against the men's gold squad and likewise for the women. The senior members of the men's team pick the men's lineup while the senior members of the women's squad will select the women's teams.

The Sun Devil women return a talented and deep lineup this season that includes five All-Americans, Ágnes Kovács, Florencia Szigeti, Amanda Gillespie, Erin Baldinger and Trisha Tumlinson, who will use their experience to help fulfill the ambition of being a national powerhouse.

Szigeti won the Pac-10 Championship in the 200 freestyle while Tumlinson returns as the reigning Pac-10 champion on the platform and the 3-meter springboard events. They are joined by an experienced and talented core that builds one of the most evenly distributed and deepest squads in recent years.

Kovács returns after another stellar Olympic performance in Athens where she was a multiple event finalist.

The men will look to returning All-Americans Jeff Barrett, David Kolozar and Joona Puhakka to lead the team in 2004. Puhakka returns as the reigning national champion on the 3-meter springboard and won the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard events at the Pac-10 Championships. A solid group of returnees as well as several new faces will look to build upon the foundation set last season to be a top contender in the conference and national meets.

The events for the Maroon and Gold meet are as follows, with women's events preceding men's:

400 medley relay
1000 freestyle
200 freestyle
50 freestyle
400 IM
200 butterfly
100 freestyle
200 backstroke
500 freestyle
200 breaststroke
400 freestyle relay

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