Gamecock Divers Head to Athens for NCAA Zone B Championships
ATLANTA, Ga. – The South Carolina diving team is set to compete at the NCAA Zone B Diving Championships in Athens, Ga., from March 8-11. Qualifying divers will earn a spot in the NCAA Men’s/Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship later this month.
Following prelims, the top 18 divers will compete in the finals. The following numbers will qualify for NCAAs in each event: Women’s 1m: 11, Women’s 3m: 9, Women’s Platform: 7, Men’s 1m: 8, Men’s 3m: 6, Men’s Platform: 7. If a diver automatically qualifies for an event, they can add another event if they finish in the top 12.
SEC RECAP
The Gamecocks’ SEC Championship performance was highlighted by senior Sophie Verzyl becoming a three-time SEC gold medalist. Verzyl defended her 3-meter title and earned the victory in the 1-meter. The South Carolina native was awarded the SEC Female Diver of the Meet award, nominated and voted on by fellow SEC swimming and diving coaches. She also qualified for the consolation final in the platform dive, finishing 16th overall.
Last season, Verzyl earned All-American Honorable Mention honors in the 1-meter and 3-meter after placing ninth and 11th, respectively. She scored the second-highest result in the entire field at NCAAs in the 1-meter.
Aislinn Zuechner finished 23rd in the 1-meter and 16th in the 3-meter. Rounding out the South Carolina divers was Reagan Patterson who finished 18th in the platform, 29th in the 3-meter and 30th in the 1-meter.
Charley Bayer represented the men’s side at SECs, earning 10th in the platform dive, 20th in the 3-meter and 24th in the 1-meter. He looks to close out his career as a Gamecock at his fourth consecutive NCAA Zone Championships.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Sunday, March 8
Women’s 1-meter: 12:15-2:45 p.m. (Prelims); 2:55-3:55 p.m. (Finals)
Monday, March 9
Women’s 3-meter: 11:15-1:30 p.m. (Prelims); 1:40-2:40 p.m. (Finals)
Men’s 1-meter: 3:40-5:50 p.m. (Prelims); 6-7 p.m. (Finals)
Tuesday, March 10
Women’s Platform: 11:15-12:30 p.m. (Prelims); 12:40-1:40 p.m. (Finals)
Men’s 3-meter: 2:40-4:50 p.m. (Prelims); 5-6 p.m. (Finals)
Wednesday, March 11
Men’s Platform: 11:15 a.m.-12:50 p.m. (Prelims); 1-2 p.m. (Finals)
STREAMING
All sessions of the meet will be streamed on ESPN+.
