News of Emma Friesen's NCAA championship in 1-meter springboard a week ago washed across University of Hawai'i's Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex like a Manoa mist. Everyone touched by the UH sophomore's surprise title felt blessed, none more so than Rainbow divers Magnus Frick and Mats Wiktorsson.

The seniors open at the NCAA's 85th annual Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships tomorrow in Federal Way, Wash. Both are in the 1-meter and Friday's 3-meter, with Wiktorsson also entered in Saturday's platform diving at Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center.

The Swedes' last collegiate chance is no long shot. Both have been All-Americans and Conference USA Divers of the Year.

Frick, who earned an Olympic diving slot for Sweden at last month's FINA World Cup, was a 2007 All-American in his first year at UH. He was second in the NCAA 1-meter and third in 3-meters — three points from a better place in each event — and holds the UH record in both.

"It was a matter of one judge," said UH assistant Anita Rossing, wife of head coach Mike Brown. "He was as good as the winner ... definitely right there.

"His first reaction at the pool was like, 'Oh well.' After he said to me, 'It kind of bugs me a little because I was so close.' He did very good, especially on the 1-meter. He was almost flawless."

Wiktorsson was honorable mention All-American on the platform and 3-meters last year, and holds the UH record on 10-meter platform. He was an All-American as a sophomore after finishing fourth on platform.

"Everything is for sure possible to happen," Wiktorsson said. "If you do your best that can take you a long way. Some people say only these people will be in the final, but you have to do your six dives. It doesn't have to be the most favored."

The two share Swedish roots — like Rossing, who went to two Olympics for Sweden — and a combined 28 years of competitive diving, but their styles are dramatically different.

Frick is acrobatic and powerful. "He's extremely strong," Wiktorsson said. "He jumps really, really high. Higher than most of the people in the world."

Wiktorsson relies on elegance and grace. He arrived in Manoa first in 2005. His coach in Sweden knew Rossing and Brown and they share coaching ideologies. That attracted Frick, who realized at 22 that he wanted his degree and his diving, and couldn't do both at home.

Both have thrived working with Rossing — who takes the opportunity to polish her Swedish — and now give Hawai'i its best shot at winning a men's diving title. Friesen's 1-meter title last week was the second for the Rainbow Wahine, after QiongJie Huang's in 2005.

"It's really fun to work with them because they are so good at taking the comments," Rossing said. "I say something and they get it and try it on the next attempt and make the improvement. It's very pleasing for them and the coach."

Frick and Wiktorsson appreciate the quality of their practices. They used to dive more at home — they average about 60 dives a day here — but learn less. Now each dive has purpose and focus, ideally allowing both to let themselves go this week and move past the pressure and inherent danger in the sport.

"The mental part is the most difficult part," Frick said. "I try not to think about anything on the board. My body knows what to do. The mind is always messing everything up."

Both will perform basically the same dives as last year, but realize they are a year better and know what to expect. "I didn't expect the (NCAA) meet to be that big last year, but it was," Frick said. "It felt like an international meet."

Both like to travel, another aspect of diving they love. That will continue after they graduate (Frick's major is marketing and Wiktorsson's communications) and, eventually, leave Hawai'i.

That won't be easy. Both now appreciate how they have grown by moving out of their comfort zone. They look at collegiate athletics much differently than most Americans.

"The best years I've had are here so far. I've had a lot of fun," Wiktorsson said. "It's totally different than anything we can do back home in Sweden. Back home we can't keep up diving and go to school. Here you have a chance to do the sport you really like and at the same time get an education. It's really amazing, a really good system — college sport.

"I will go back to Sweden, for sure, sometime. I'm not in a hurry though."