Five members of the LSU women’s swimming and diving team — four swimmers and a diver — begin competition Thursday at the NCAA Championships in Indianapolis, Ind.
Junior swimmer Torrey Bussey and freshman diver Cassie Weil qualified for the championships with their performance at the Southeastern Conference Championships and the Zone Diving Regionals. Bussey qualified in the 200 medley relay event, so freshman Caley Oquist, sophomore Amber Carter and junior Rainey White will also make the trip to complete the relay team.
“We’re going to go there and try to score some points,” said swimming coach Dave Geyer. “We want to come back with a top-25 finish. The NCAA Championships will be intense. We will be excited to compete.”
Weil has been able to build on the positive momentum from winning SEC Female Freshman Diver of the Year at SECs by placing third in the three-meter at the NCAA Zone “D” Diving Regionals with a score of 662.70.
“She has goals that are higher than what she has already done this year,” said LSU diving coach Doug Shaffer.
The freshman also placed third in the platform event at Zone Diving Regionals with a total score of 559.65.
“I believed very strongly in Cassie’s ability to get to NCAA’s at the Zone Diving Meet,” Shaffer said. “This is really a reward for her hard work and dedication. I think this is a taste of what is to come.”
Bussey’s 10th place finish in the 100 breast (1:00.30) at the SEC Championships was good enough to qualify for NCAAs. She also earned a final swim in the 200 breast (2:11.89) and the 200 individual medley (1:59.67).
“For Torrey, it has been fun building up for the three events that she will be swimming in there,” Geyer said. “I know that she has some goals about making it back to the finals and going sub – one minute in the 100 breaststroke.”
The 200 medley team qualified for the championships with its 13th place finish at the SEC Championships. Oquist will lead off the group after a strong showing with her 50-meter backstroke split of 24.86 at SECs. Bussey will swim the breaststroke leg, followed by either Carter or White for the freestyle and butterfly.
“It has been fun for the other girls to train for a 50-yard swim,” Geyer said. “We’ve been able to do some different things in the water. We have focused on speed and power.”
