EAST MEADOW, N.Y. — The LSU women’s divers competed in the 1-meter springboard event on Thursday in the opening day of the 2001 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships here at the Nassau Aquatics Center in East Meadow, N.Y.
“The diving competition was extremely tough today,” said LSU diving coach Scott Reich. “There were some divers who nailed some perfect dives today, and as a team we struggled a bit. I was still pleased with the effort that we showed and I know that we will come out stronger tomorrow.”
LSU’s Ashley Culpepper led the way for the Lady Tigers as she finished with a total score of 259.45. Her total was good enough for a 16th-place finish in the competition. Jamie Watkins, the defending national champion in the 1-meter event, failed to repeat as the NCAA champion on Thursday as she closed out the competition in 22nd place.
The Lady Tigers’ sophomore, Michelle Coryell, competed in the first-NCAA Championships of her career on Thursday. She ended the 1-meter event in the 31st-place position.
Auburn leads the total-team competition after day one with a score of 121.5. Georgia is currently in second place with 112.5, while Texas rounds out the top three by scoring 107.5 total-team points. The Lady Tigers are tied for 32nd place with Minnesota.
The 2001 women’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships will resume on Friday at 10 a.m. (Central time) with the preliminary rounds, while the finals are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.