July 15, 2002

COLUMBIA, Mo.- University of Missouri senior diver Jamie Sweeney qualified for the U.S. National Swimming and Diving Championships this past weekend in Baton Rouge, La. Sweeney, a native of Eureka, Mo., qualified on both the three-meter springboard and the platform at the Senior National Zone Meet in Baton Rouge over the weekend.

Sweeney will be among 30 of the United States' best divers competing for the U.S. Championship during the week of July 22-27 in Dallas, Texas. He is competing for Clayton Diving Alliance in Clayton, Mo. this summer under Missouri Diving Coach Greg Triefenbach.

"Jamie's goal was commit his summer to diving," said Triefenbach. "Part of that commitment was qualifying for the Senior National Zone Meet in which he competed last week."

Sweeney participated in the Senior National Zone Meet for the first time in his career last weekend.

"The U.S. National Meet is going to be a great experience for Jamie," said Triefenbach. "We wanted to compete against good competition this summer to prepare him for a run at the NCAA Meet next year. Now he gets to compete against better competition than he would at NCAA's."