TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — LSU divers, Corey Fox and Barb Gorst, each won their respective 3-meter diving competitions late Friday evening at the Southeastern Conference’s Western Division Swim Meet which took place here in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
“I am extremely proud of the entire team after their performance in today’s meet,” said LSU head coach Jeff Cavana. “Everybody gave 110 percent today, and I am especially proud of what Corey and Barb accomplished in the diving events.”
Fox, a senior from Carson City, Nev., dominated the competition in the men’s three-meter springboard event by totaling 304.75 total points. Auburn’s Andrew Silvuka finished second with a final score of 270.25 points.
The Tigers’ Erik Petursson and Kyle VanArsdale also scored in the 3-meter diving event with respective fourth and sixth-place finishes. Petursson ended with a score of 222.80, while VanArsdale finished with 182.20 total points.
In the women’s 3-meter diving competition, LSU’s Gorst placed first with a 274.05 point finish in the event. The second-place finish went to Katerina Kordioukova of Arkansas who ended with a score of 241.65.
“Our divers are the strongest part of our team right now,” Cavana said. “And it is always a great feeling to see them finish first, because it gives the rest of our team a boost.”
Also placing first for the Tigers were the men’s 200-yard freestyle relay team comprised of Matt Elder, Will Tanner, Evan Martinec, and Ken Kuhn. The women’s 400-yard freestyle relay team including Mandy Leach, Julie Hughes, Ashley Marxen, and Cackey Miltenberger, and Leach in the 150-yard freestyle event.
The Lady Tigers’ Leach, who competed for Zimbabwe in the 2000 Olympics, blew by her SEC Western Division foes in the 150-freestyle competition and finished first in the event with a time of 1:22.05. LSU freshman Donna Leslie ended fifth in the competition by swimming a time of 1:24.16.
“Mandy has made a huge amount of difference for this team while she has been here,” said Jeff Cavana. “She has a great work ethic, she always gives her best, and her effort today shows what can happen when you work toward a goal.”
The LSU men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams will next be in action at the Purple and Gold Intrasquad Meet on Friday, October 13, in the LSU Natatorium at 3 p.m.