LSU’s diving team competed in the Zone B Diving Regionals last weekend and all three divers qualified to compete in this year’s NCAA Championships.
Senior All-American Barb Gorst took home the win in the 10-meter platform diving competition, Sunday, while Senior team captain Kyle VanArsdall finished fifth in the men’s platform.
“I just took it one dive at a time, that’s all I could do,” said VanArsdall. “I kept telling myself that this wasn’t going to be my last meet. I was going to make it to NCAAs.”
Sophomore Jessica Wantz qualified for the NCAA’s on Friday when she finished fourth in the 1-meter diving board competition.
“I am just ecstatic with the performances of all three of our divers here this weekend,” said LSU diving coach Doug Shaffer.
Shaffer said before the competition that he felt all three divers had the potential to qualify but they would have to perform at the best of their ability.
“For us to bring three divers here and qualify all three is just tremendous,” he said.
VanArsdall credits Shaffer for the team’s success.
“For all three of us, I know Doug had a huge influence,” VanArsdall said. “He knows how to put things in perspective and help us to have fun. He knows what makes us tick.”
Gorst, the 2002 Southeastern Conference champion, won the platform event with a career best, 471.25. VanArsdall also earned the highest score of his career in the platform after receiving a score of 490.10.
Both Gorst and VanArsdall will be making repeat trips to NCAA’s while Wantz’s mark of 290.50 in the diving board competition qualified her for her first NCAA national championships.
“The NCAA regional meet is one of the toughest meets mentally and physically anywhere and our zone is especially hard,” said VanArsdall. “There are olympians, national champions and numerous national finalists within our zone. It brings out the best in every athlete.”