Five members of the LSU swimming and diving team traveled to Athens, Ga. for the Zone B Diving Meet, putting forth last-chance efforts toward qualifying for the NCAA Championships.
Junior diver Jessica Wantz was the only LSU player to qualify this week, finishing third out of 41 divers in the finals of the 3-meter competition.
“Jessica did a great job,” said diving coach Doug Shaffer. “She showed what type of competitor she is, putting her performance in the 1-meter behind her to finish the way she did in the 3-meter. She’s diving really well and I don’t see her (neck) injury bothering her to compete.”
It will be Wantz’s second-consecutive NCAA appearance. The junior earned honorable mention All-America honors in the 3-meter for her fourth-place finish in 2003.
Wantz is one of two Lady Tigers who will be competing in the season’s final competition, which will be held March 18-20 at College Station, Texas.
Senior freestyle swimmer Stephanie Smith qualified for the 400-meter and 1500-meter freestyle events with her performance at the SEC Championships two weeks ago. The LSU team captain will enter her third championship in her college career.
Smith is seeded No. 43 in the 400-meter freestyle and is ranked No. 23 in the 1500-meter freestyle. She swam two NCAA B cut times at the SEC Championships two weeks ago. Her times in the 500-free (4:49.49) and 1650-free (16:25.62), are the fastest times in each respective event by any Lady Tiger all year.
“She swam really well at the conference meet, and I am happy she is able to qualify in her final season at LSU,” said LSU associate head coach Lars Jorgensen. “She has overcome so much from her neck injury. I really expect her to perform well at NCAAs, continuing the success that earned her All-America status last year.”
Four other Tigers’ seasons ended this weekend after failing to qualify. Alyson Carlyon and Hali Saucier for the Lady Tigers and Andrew Keane and Andy Crum for the LSU men all fell short of a fifth place finish that would have sent them to the NCAA Championships.