MADISON, Wis. – After getting its first taste of Big Ten competition in Minneapolis last weekend, the Wisconsin swimming and diving team will head back on the road for a weekend full of competition.
 
The divers open up the action in Minneapolis on Thursday at the three-day Minnesota Diving Invitational. The swimmers get rolling on Friday at Green Bay before taking on Northwestern in Evanston on Saturday. Here are five things to know as the Badgers prepare for a busy weekend.

 
BIG TEN TESTED

The Badgers have faced a tough test in each week of this young season, having competed against five Top 25 opponents in four weeks.
 
Last weekend, in particular, gave the Badgers an idea of what they'll be up against at the Big Ten Championships in February. This weekend will give the Badgers a look at another Big Ten team —Northwestern.
 
"Taking on Big Ten opponents is important The Big Ten is one of best conferences in the country, and one could argue that it's the best," UW head coach Whitney Hite said. "Last weekend, we did very well, I thought, against Big Ten competition, and we're hoping to keep that momentum rolling against a well-coached, very good Northwestern this Saturday.
 
"I think that these next two meets provide us an opportunity to sharpen the sword before the Texas Invitational."
 

McCARTHY MADNESS
 
Senior Todd McCarthy put together a solid showing at last week's Big Ten opener. McCarthy won the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:47.01 and placed fifth in the 200-yard butterfly (1:47.08).
 
Hite is excited to see McCarthy's effort in practice translate to in-meet success.
 
"Todd swam really well," Hite said. "He's swimming at a level that we know he's capable of. It's fun to see him do well and have success."
 
 
BIG TIME DIVING
 
The Badgers' divers will face one of the toughest tests of the season at the Minnesota Diving Invitational. The meet will feature some of the nation's top divers, including athletes from No. 3 Michigan and No. 17 Minnesota.
 
"I think this invite gives our divers an opportunity to measure up against some elite competition," Hite said. "I've been proud of the way the divers are competing. They're getting better each and every day, and I'm excited to see how they stack up against some great competition."
 
The invitational began Thursday and will continue through Saturday, with competition getting underway at 1 p.m. each day.
 

COMPETE, REPEAT

The Badgers spent last weekend competing against three strong Big Ten programs in Michigan, Minnesota and Penn State. Wisconsin claimed team wins over Penn State (198.5-154.5, men; 215-138, women), but fell to Michigan (266-87, men; 235-118, women) and Minnesota (216-137, men; 191.5-161.5, women).

"This was really positive for us," Hite said. "Minnesota has great diving, and our divers took on that challenge and competed really well. And overall, we competed all day and put together our best overall meet yet.

"What we're doing is working. We're working really hard. We're competing. This meet should give us some motivation moving forward to continue to put in the work."
 
 
TWO STOPS, ONE WEEKEND

The swimmers will travel to Green Bay for a Friday meet before heading south to Northwestern for a Saturday morning competition. The weekend on the road poses an interesting challenge for the Badgers.
 
"We see everything as a test. We want to be able to put the team in situations where things aren't perfect — where they have to adapt to and overcome challenges," Hite said. "It's important because life isn't perfect, so we can't expect things to go perfectly.
 
"If you're prepared. you can roll with the punches. That's why we put ourselves into situations that test our resolve."