LEXINGTON, Ky. — Senior Hali Saucier and freshman Rachel Ware reached the finals of the 1-meter springboard on Saturday evening of the Southeastern Conference Diving Championships at the Lancaster Aquatic Center.
The Lady Tigers sit in third place with 58.50 points and trail only Kentucky (68) and Auburn (64). The LSU men hold the sixth-best team score with 18 points. Auburn holds a substantial 120-43 lead over Florida heading into the final day of competition.
“It was another good day for the Tigers,” said diving coach Doug Shaffer. “We had some opportunities on the men’s side, but we were solid on the women’s side. Paige (Brown) continued her career-highs. Hali was a double finalist, and Rachel is the highest scoring freshman.”
Saucier, who earned a career-high, sixth-place finish in the 3-meter on Friday, was LSU’s highest scorer in the event with a seventh-place final score of 283.85. The senior improved on her mark of 271.70 in the prelims.
Ware, a native of Richmond, Texas, qualified for her first SEC final with an eighth-place tally of 271.65. She held the sixth-best score at the end of the prelims (280.10), and after two events, she is the highest scoring freshman out of all of the competitors.
Brown continued her career weekend with her highest finish in the 1-meter. The junior finished tied for 12th with Georgia’s Emily Hunter (241.50). Kentucky swept the top two spots in the women’s 1-meter led by Taryn Ignacio (333.90).
Sophomore Nathan Schreiber was LSU’s highest scorer in men’s events for the second straight day. Schreiber posted a mark of 292.10 to place 13th in the 3-meter. Senior Andrew Keane finished 18th (243.60) and freshman Kalister Harmon placed 20th (222.95).
Shaffer believes LSU’s best scoring is yet to come as the Tigers take their tremendous platform strength into Sunday. All three women’s divers will compete in the event, while first and second-place Auburn and Kentucky only send two.
“I am confident that we will see higher placing on the men’s side with Andrew and Nathan’s strengths in platform,” said Shaffer. “The women will continue to perform like they have the past two days.”
The women’s platform prelims begin at 10 a.m. CST followed by the men’s prelims at noon CST. Finals of both events get underway at 1:30 p.m. CST.
2007 SEC Diving Championships
UK Lancaster Aquatic Center
Lexington, Ky.
Men’s Team Standings (After Day 2)
1. Auburn — 120
2. Florida — 43
3. Georgia — 40
4. South Carolina — 37
5. Alabama — 25
6. LSU — 18
7. Tennessee — 14
8. Kentucky — 13
Women’s Team Standings (After Day 2)
1. Kentucky — 68
2. Auburn — 64
3. LSU — 58.5
4. Tennessee — 38
5. South Carolina — 28
6. Georgia — 25.5
7. Arkansas — 25
8. Florida — 3
Sunday’s Schedule of Events (all times Central)
10 a.m. Women’s platform prelims
Noon Men’s platform prelims
1:30 p.m. Women’s platform finals
2:30 p.m. Men’s platform finals