The LSU diving team will compete at the CRWC Natatorium in Houston, Texas starting Monday in the three-day NCAA Zone “D” Diving Regionals in hopes of qualifying for the NCAA Championship Diving Meet.

Eight men and seven women from the 19 teams comprising Zone D will proceed to the NCAA championships.

“This is what our season is geared toward,” said LSU diving coach Doug Shaffer. “Going to Nationals is our number one goal. Everything we’ve done all year long has prepared us for what will ensue in the next three weeks.”

The men will kick off the competition at 11 a.m. with the one-meter followed by the women’s three-meter at 4:30 p.m.

Shaffer pointed to a high level of competition within the LSU diving squad as a reason for optimism heading into the competition.

“It’s realistic within our capabilities to have two men and two women at the NCAA Championships,” Shaffer said. “Within our field there’s some strong competition but within the LSU divers there is a lot of competition.”

Freshman diver Cassie Weil is looking to keep the positive momentum going from when she won Female Freshman Diver of the Year at the Southeastern Conference Championships.

“Going to SECs made me feel better and made me realize I’m more consistent than I thought, and I’m ready for zones,” Weil said. “I’m hoping that I dive well. I just want to qualify so badly.”

Sophomore Alex Bettridge is also looking forward to building on her success at the meet last year when she qualified for NCAAs and earned NCAA Honorable Mention All-American Honors with her top-16 finish.

“Now instead of training all around you pinpoint on what will get you to NCAA,” Bettridge said. “At this point it’s for yourself and doing what you need to do to qualify.”