The Barometer Online

Issue date: 2/25/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Cory Reed Senior Ginny Omundson swims the 1000-yard freestyle in Oregon State's dual meet victory over Washington State. Omundson and the Beavers swim in Federal Way, Wash. at the Pac-10 Championships today through Saturday.

Today the Beavers will start the four-day Pacific-10 Conference Championship, hosted by the University of Washington, in Federal Way, Wash.

They will dive into the pool against their Pac-10 competitors with a standing record of 45 total dual wins by eight different swimmers in 13 different events.

Leading the tally of dual wins is senior Kayla Rawlings who has a total of 15 this season. She has won nine in the 200 butterfly, three in the 500 freestyle and three in the 100 butterfly.

This will be the last Pac-10 meet for the seniors. Losing a class like this will be difficult, says head coach Larry Liebowitz.

"We have some holes that we have to fill, but actually we have a great junior class as well and I think we have the makings of a great freshman class, so I am hoping that we can go without a hitch," Liebowitz said. "But you always miss leadership like these girls provide and they have been an exceptional class to coach."

For senior Saori Haruguchi, the priority of the Pac-10 has changed in her last year on the team.

"This year I feel different about the Pac-10 because I think my priority changed a little bit," Haruguchi said. "I want to see everyone's race, and I want to see their hard work paying off. I don't really think about myself or my races - I just I want to see everyone smiling at the end."

The Pac-10 Championship is one of the most important meets of the year because it determines who will continue on to compete in the NCAA Championships.

"Well, for the NCAAs, it's all about the Pac-10 and how we swim there and whether they qualify or not," Liebowitz said. "I think we have five or six girls who have a very real shot to make the NCAA Championship, so the Pac-10 becomes a qualifying meet. It's the biggest meet of the year, and if we qualify enough girls, then at NCAA, hopefully I have to make a rooming list.

"We already have two qualified [Rawlings and Haruguchi], and there are several others that could. We have two good breaststrokers, one in Corrinne [Burrow] and one in Signe Larson and maybe Agata [Szewczuk]. She has really stepped up in the last few weeks. In the butterfly and IM, we have Brittany Iverson and in freestyle there is Anna Crandall. Rachael Wahl is very close in the 200 fly and Jenni Dole and Anna Heller are freshman with a real good chance."

The Beavers will compete at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way for four days: today through Saturday. The NCAA Championships will take place March 19-21 in College Station, Texas.

Andy Simpson, sports writer

sports@dailybarometer.com

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