KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Senior diver Niko Dalman earned an 11th-place finish in the men’s three-meter springboard competition to highlight LSU’s efforts Saturday at the NCAA Zone ?B’ Diving Championships in Knoxville, Tenn.
Dalman placed 10th in the preliminaries with a six-dive total of 340.40 after closing the round with a 73-point effort on his most difficult dive, the forward two and one half somersault two twist pike. The two-time All-American tallied 339.30 points in the finals to record a combined score of 679.70 and secure 11th, missing a top-10 finish by just a point.
Freshman Matt Vieke also reached the finals for the second consecutive session. After collecting a prelim score of 309.35 to qualify for the three-meter finals, the Indianapolis, Ind., native registered a 267.30 mark to finish in 18th with a combined total of 576.65.
Fellow freshman Brian Gemberling notched a prelim mark of 268.85 in the men’s three-meter, while Lady Tigers’ freshman Katie Lybbert scored a 213.90 in the women’s one-meter prelims.
“With the one-meter and three-meter events behind us, I’m confident in Niko’s chances of qualifying for the men’s NCAA Championships,” LSU diving coach Doug Shaffer said. “We’ll wrap up the zone meet with Niko and Matt on platform tomorrow.”
Alabama’s Aaron Fleshner held off Miami’s Reuben Ross for the men’s three-meter title. The Co-SEC Men’s Diver of the Year totaled 799.10 points to top the 773.25 score recorded by the Hurricanes’ reigning national champion in the event.
On the women’s side, Miami’s Jenna Dreyer claimed the one-meter crown with a score of 599.15. South Carolina’s Taryn Zack captured runner-up honors and punched her ticket to NCAA’s with her mark of 569.85.
The Zone ?B’ Championships will wrap up Sunday at 11 a.m. (CDT). After the conclusion of tomorrow’s events, it will become clear which 11 men and 10 women have qualified for their respective NCAA Championships. A link to live stats is available at www.LSUsports.net.