Thursday’s NCAA Zone Diving Championship in Columbus, Ohio, will determine which members of the diving team will compete in the NCAA Championships, which begin March 26.
The zone championship will consist of a three-day competition that ends Saturday. Both the men and women divers will compete Thursday.
Freshman James Conner already broke the school record in the 3-meter dive with a score of 494.60 at the Big Ten Championships two weeks ago. Michael Hixon broke the Big Ten record in the 1-meter competition with a score of 47.45, while Conner dove his career-best at 394.55, giving them good odds to qualify at the Zone Championship.
Whoever qualifies will be joining the rest of the team in the NCAA Championships who have already qualified in the swimming events.
It has been released that a total of seven Hoosiers will be racing in the NCAA Championships for the men’s team. Seniors Steve Schmuhl and Mike Hurely will be looking to finish out their collegiate careers with a solid performance in their last NCAA Championship. Sophomores Jackson Miller, Anze Tavcar and freshmen Ali Khalafalla and Blake Pieroni will be competing as well.
IU men’s swimming Coach Ray Looze said after the Big Ten Championships that he has no predictions for this year’s NCAA ?Championships.
Frank Bonner
