Alabama Divers Set for NCAA Zone B Diving Championships
3/11/2004 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
The Alabama Swimming and Diving team heads back to Athens, Ga. this weekend, just two weeks after the Southeastern Conference Championships were held there. This time it will be just the divers as they compete at the NCAA Zone B Championships, vying for NCAA Championship bids.
On the men's side there will be 40 divers competing for 13 spots while 45 women will be looking for one of 11 bids. The Tide women will be led by senior Lane Bassham who won the one and three-meter titles here at the league championships. Bassham is undefeated off both boards to this point in the season.
"Lane has had a remarkable season," diving coach Pat Greenwell said. "I'm excited to see how it plays out."
For the Tide women sophomore Crystal Rasmussen and freshmen Jenna Hastreiter and Karissa Tuthill will also be in the hunt for a spot at the NCAA Championships. Rasmussen finaled off the one-meter board at the SEC Championships while Hastreiter was fifth off the platform.
The going will be tougher for the Tide men. All-American junior Stewart Smith has struggled with injuries this season and has been shaky in warm-ups leading up to the Zone meet. Junior Aaron Smith, redshirt freshman Alan Harris and freshman Jesse Maples all scored at the SEC Championships, but will have to be at their best to earn a spot to the national championships.
"Stew is going to have to really be tough to advance to nationals," Greenwell said. "He's going to have a lot of grit this weekend, and even then it might not be enough."
Action begins Friday morning with the women's 1-meter prelims at 10 a.m. ET. The finals for the event are scheduled for 12:15 p.m. ET. The men's 3-meter competition is set to get underway at 3:30 p.m. ET. Saturday's slate includes the men's 1-meter event at 10 a.m. ET with women's 3-meter to begin at 3:30 p.m. ET.
The platform event will take place on Sunday, with the men set to begin at 10 a.m. ET with the women to follow at 12:30 p.m. ET.
