Once the 2004-2005 season starts for the University of Hawaii swimming and diving teams, the mix of athletes at the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatics Complex will look more like an Olympic event than a college meet.

With the signing last week of 10 new recruits, each from a country outside the United States, the new Rainbow squad will be made up of swimmers and divers from nine different countries.

"This is the best recruiting class we've had since I've been here," head swimming coach Mike Anderson said.

Anderson added that more signees, this round primarily from the continental United States, will be announced in the coming weeks. He also hopes to sign more recruits in January.

Coming into the Warrior program will be Thomas Winkler, Kurtis Miller, Grame Tozer, Grzegorz Mroz and Mats Wiktorsson. Anderson said he believes these new recruits will help to fill the void left by the four seniors.

Winkler, Tozer and Mroz all specialize in the freestyle. Winkler, a native of Germany, has successfully participated in international competition in the past few years, swimming on two relay teams that medaled in the 2000 European Short Course Championships.

Tozer, one of three recruits from Canada, placed first in the 200-meter free and second in the 50 free at the 2004 Western Canadian Championships. Mroz, a transfer from Cal State-Bakersfield and native of Poland, also swims the individual medley, and holds the Cal State-Bakersfield record in the 400 individual medley.

Miller, a Canadian backstroke specialist, won the 100 back at the 2004 Eastern Championships, as well as the 50 and 100 back at the 2004 Quebec Cup.

Wiktorsson, a platform specialist, has won silver medals on the platform at the 2004 Sweden Winter Senior Nationals and the 2003 Diving Lund.

While the men need to reload, the Rainbow Wahine will use their recruits as added depth to an already young and talented squad.

"It's another big step for them," Anderson said.

Joining the 'Bows is diver Rui Wang, who won the synchronized 10-meter platform at the 1995 and 1997 Diving World Cups. Wang, a transfer from Tsing Hua University in Beijing, was also the 10-meter platform champion at the 2001 World University Games.

Three of the five recruits for the Rainbow Wahine are from Australia, each a specialist in freestyle. Cassandra Hunt, who was a member of the strong Australian National Team, has personal bests of 25.40 in the 50 free and 55.40 in the 100 free, more than two seconds faster than the other two recruits. Joy Symons is a transfer from the University of Southern Queensland. She won the silver medal in the 100 free at the 2000 Oceania Championships. Melanie Schlanger placed 12th in the 100 free at the 2003 National Swimming Championships.

Canadian butterfly specialist Mackenzie Downing completes the list of Wahine swimming recruits. Downing placed second in the 50 fly and fourth in the 100 fly at the Canadian Nationals. She was also a trial finalist in the 100 and 200 fly at the 2004 Canadian Olympic Trials.

Anderson, who begins his fourth season with the Rainbow swim team, said getting international athletes to come to Hawaii involves "a lot of hard work and a lot of contacts, selling the students the idea that this is an up-and-coming program."

Anderson said he expects all of his recruits to make an instant impact on the program, which has become accustomed to breaking school records at every meet.

"If you're getting a scholarship from us, you're going to contribute right away," Anderson said.