March 10, 2006
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Senior SEC Champion Allison Brennan continued her win streak as she recorded a score of 587.60 to win the 1-meter board at the NCAA Zone B Diving Championships Friday afternoon on the University of Kentucky campus. Brennan is now guaranteed to compete at the NCAA Championships, March 16-18 in Athens, Ga. Brennan has won every 1-meter event she has competed in this season.
“I am very pleased with Allison’s performance. She had great dives today,” said diving coach Todd Sherritt. “This has been her event all year long. It is not an easy meet and she was able to maintain the lead throughout. There are 38 girls in this competition that is about four hours long, with 20 minutes between dives. That is tough to compete in.”
The NCAA Zone Diving Championships serve as the first round of competition for collegiate divers. There are five zones in action this weekend and 22 participants from Zone B (nine women and 13 men) will advance to the upcoming NCAA Championships.
The top three finishers are guaranteed a spot to compete and the championships. Junior Lyndsey Havens advanced to the finals for the Gamecocks and finished 16th with a score of 484.45. Havens’ score was not enough however to qualify in the championships in the one meter event. Senior Tracey Richardson finished 20th in the prelims and missed the cut for the finals.
“The 3-meter event is the stronger event for both Lyndsey and Tracey,” said Sherritt. “If they can final and finish in the top five, then they should have a good chance of making it to NCAAs.”
On the men’s side, Ian Balman was the lone finalist for the Garnet and Black. Balman finished 11th with a score of 582.65.
“Ian could still qualify for NCAAs in the 1-meter depending on the final outcome of the rest of the meet,” said Sherritt. “His dives were pretty good today and depending on how others fair, he could still get pulled in.”
The Zone B Championships continue Saturday, March 11 at Noon (ET) at the Lancaster Aquatics Center with the women’s 3-meter and the men’s 1-meter events.
