The LSU swimming and diving team received some bad news on Dec. 2. Diving coach Doug Shaffer announced that All-American Michelle Coryell has been forced to retire due to a back injury.
“Michelle has been working hard for the past 11 months to try to get back but her injury was just too serious,” Shaffer said.
Coryell finished fourth in the platform competition in the 2001 NCAA Championships and earned a chance to compete in the Olympic Trials. She excelled in academics as well. With a 3.81 grade point average, she has twice been named to the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll.
Coryell has been diagnosed with a combination of a bulging disc and ligamentous instability in her back. The injury occurred two years ago and has continued to worsen whenever she tries to get back to diving.
She said she did not want to risk her health and possibly create problems for herself later on in life.
“Obviously it is devastating not to have such a valuable team member, but I have to congratulate her for her attitude, patience and perseverance to make every attempt to return to her previous athletic form,” Shaffer said.
Another injured diver, Barb Gorst, will return to action Dec. 16 when the swimming and diving team takes on Tampa and Indianapolis in Tampa, Fla. Gorst missed the Minnesota Swimming and Diving Invitational due to a back injury.
Sophomore Jessica Wantz represented the LSU women at the competition finishing seventh in the three meter with a score of 484.85.
The lone male diver, senior Kyle Van Arsdall, finished ninth in the three-meter semifinals after scoring 481.45. He also scored 269.80 in the one meter to finish seventh and 467.10 in the platform event to take sixth.