The LSU diving team will try to ride momentum from a strong Southeastern Conference Championship meet when it competes in the NCAA Zone D Diving Regional in Iowa City, beginning today.
There are five zone meets to qualify for the NCAA Championship Meet, with nine men and 12 women qualifying at each. The formula to qualify changes based on how many divers double or triple, or win multiple events, on the one-meter, three-meter or platform dives.
“When I ran the numbers, it’s totally within our capabilities to be at the women’s and men’s NCAAs,” said diving coach Doug Shaffer. “We’ve got to be on our game, prelims and finals.”
Shaffer pointed to Texas and future SEC foe Texas A&M as the toughest competition at the meet, along with Houston in the women’s competition. He said other dangerous teams include Arkansas and another future SEC rival, Missouri.
The Lady Tiger duo of freshman Alex Bettridge and junior Elle Schmidt are coming off a record-setting SEC Championship Meet. Schmidt scored on all three dives and set a career-best mark on the platform and her best postseason score on the one-meter.
Bettridge claimed SEC Freshman Diver of the Year honors after breaking her own school record, placing third on the three-meter and taking sixth in the one-meter, propelling the Lady Tigers to a fifth-place finish in the meet.
Senior Matt Vieke and sophomore Daniel Helm will lead the Tigers. Helm shined at the SEC Championships, finishing second in the one-meter and setting a new career best on the platform and three-meter. Vieke took fifth in the one-meter and finished one place behind Helm in the three-meter.
Vieke will be competing at the last Zone Championship of his career, and he said he hopes he saved the best for last.
“I feel more prepared for this one,” Vieke said. “I know I have the potential to make this the best postseason yet.”
Both Vieke and Shaffer said nerves won’t be a factor, even with the high level of competition present. Nerves can be a positive thing, Shaffer said.
“Diving is about believing in yourself, getting up and performing,” Shaffer said. “I look at nerves as a positive aspect. They get your adrenaline going and your blood pumping.”
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Contact Chandler Rome at [email protected]
Swimming and Diving: Divers head to Zone Championships
March 7, 2012