INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — LSU’s sophomore diver from Jacksonville, Fla., Jamie Watkins, won the National Championship in the 1-meter diving event Thursday at the NCAA Swimming and Diving National Championships.
Watkins’ NCAA Championship honor is the first won by a Lady Tiger swimmer or diver since Susie Ryan finished on top in the 10-meter diving competition in 1994.
“We’re extremely proud of Jaime (Watkins) and the exceptional performance that she turned in today,” said LSU head coach Rick Meador. “She not only proved that she is one of the best divers in the nation, but she proved that she is the best in the nation in the 1-meter event. It was just awesome!”
LSU is currently in 13th-place after the opening day of competition here at the NCAA Championships. All of the Lady Tigers’ points came in the 1-meter diving event with the performances of Watkins and Ashley Culpepper.
Culpepper, the Lady Tigers’ junior diver, led the 1-meter springboard event going into the final round of competition with a score of 189.15. Watkins was slightly behind in second-place with 187.40 points.
Watkins outscored her teammate as well as the rest of the field late Thursday evening in the final round of competition to pick up the National Championship. Culpepper finished the event in third-place.
“Both Ashley (Culpepper) and Jaime (Watkins) did an outstanding job today,” said LSU diving coach Scott Reich. “It is a great accomplishment to have two divers from the same school finish among the top-three in an event, and that is exactly what our girls did today. They both have two more events to compete in this weekend, and I believe that they have a good chance to place among the top-three in those as well.”
Culpepper and Watkins will each compete in the 3-meter springboard event and the 10-meter platform event later this weekend here in Indianapolis, Ind.
Culpepper competed in last season’s National Championships and looks to improve upon her seventh-place finishes in both the platform event and the 3-meter springboard competition.
The NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships continue on Friday at the Indiana University Natatorium. Preliminary heats begin at 10 a.m., with championship finals set for 7 p.m.