Feb. 3, 2006
COLUMBIA, Mo. - One of the most prolific divers in Missouri history added another honor to his long list of accomplishments Friday when senior Evan Watters was named the Big 12 Men's Diver of the Month for January. This marks the second time Watters has earned the honor this season, and the fifth such occasion in his career.
"Evan has proven that he's one of the better divers in the conference," Mizzou head coach Brian Hoffer said. "We're really proud of what he's done for himself, but also of what he's done for our program. He's been a big-time performer over the last few years."
The San Antonio native earned the award after first-place finishes on both boards against Missouri State on Jan. 14 and Iowa on Jan. 21, as well as second-place showing on the 3-meter board and a third-place effort in the 1-meter board at the Shamrock Invite in Notre Dame, Ind., from Jan. 27-28.
Watters' other conference Diver of the Month awards came in October of 2005, January and October of 2003 and October 2002.
In 2004-05, Watters teamed with fellow senior Nicole Frazier to become the first pair of Mizzou divers to qualify for NCAA Nationals in over two decades. He turned in top-25 finishes on the 1 and 3-meter boards at the national meet, as well as a runner-up performance on the 1-meter board at the NCAA Zone D Diving Championships. He has garnered Mizzou Men's Diver of the Year accolades in each of the last two seasons.
Michael Klueh of Texas was named Men's Swimmer of the Month, while Texas A&M's Julia Wilkinson took Women's Swimmer of the Month and Haley Haynes of Iowa State was named Women's Diver of the Month.
The following is a breakdown of Watters' performance during the month of January:
Missouri State (Jan. 14)
1st place on 1-meter board - 321.53
1st place on 3-meter board - 300.45
Iowa (Jan. 21)
1st place on 3-meter board - 315.90
1st place on 1-meter board - 324.35
Shamrock Invite - Notre Dame, Penn State, Louisville, Oakland (Jan. 27-28)
2nd place on 3-meter board - 326.70
3rd place on 1-meter board - 303.45