The Kentucky men?s and women?s swimming and diving squads play host to Michigan State Saturday in the 2004-05 dual-meet opener for the Wildcats. The meet is set for 1 p.m. EDT at UK?s Lancaster Aquatic Center.

Coach Gary Conelly returns for his 14th season in Lexington with squads destined for even greater success at the SEC and NCAA championships. The UK men placed 15th at the 2004 NCAA Championships, good for the top finish in the history of the program, while the UK women sent three competitors to the NCAA championships. Each squad also improved their standing at the SEC championships from the season before, and with 31 letter winners returning, the Cats figure to achieve new heights in postseason competition.

The UK men?s team is led by senior All-American Daniel Cruz, who placed third in the 200 butterfly at the 2004 NCAA Championships and will contend for the national title in 2005. Another Wildcat with championship aspirations is junior Steven Manley, who placed 10th in the 200 freestyle at the 2004 NCAAs. Cruz and Manley, along with senior Jerram Chudleigh and junior Daniel Farnham, placed ninth together at the 2004 NCAAs in the 800 freestyle relay.

Leading the UK women is junior Laura Graham, who placed 18th in the 200 breaststroke at the 2004 NCAAs and was a top-five finisher in the 100 and 200 breaststroke events at the 2004 SEC Championships. Graham holds school records in each breaststroke event, while senior Jessica Siegele broke the school 100 backstroke record during her junior season. Sophomore diver Kari Retrum won the SEC platform diving title as a true freshman and is joined by a quartet of Wildcat divers, including Jessica Thompson, a 17th-place finisher on the platform at the 2004 NCAAs.

Event results will be posted throughout the meet at www.ukathletics.com.