March 8, 2006
COLUMBIA, Mo. - A select group of divers from around the Midwest will gather in Columbia this weekend for the NCAA Zone D Diving Meet, hosted by the Missouri swimming and diving program at the Mizzou Aquatics Center.
Senior Evan Watters will compete for the Tigers on the men's side, and the trio of senior Nicole Frazier, junior Kim Massaro and freshman Kendra Melnychuk will represent the Mizzou women.
"This is our biggest meet of the year because it's a diver's only chance all season to qualify for NCAA Nationals," Mizzou diving coach James Sweeney said. "No one cares about breaking school records or how high a person can place. The only thing that matters is qualifying for Nationals."
Qualification for Nationals is dependent solely on a diver's performance at the Zone meet. In this year's Zone D meet, there will be five spots up for grabs on the men's side and six openings for women to earn an NCAA berth.
"With only a few spots for both men and women, the competition is going to be cut throat," Sweeney said. "Our Zone meet will be more difficult than last year, but we've been competing at a high level as team all season.
At last year's Zone meet, in College Station, Texas, both Watters and Frazier qualified for NCAA Nationals, marking the first time in over two decades that a pair of Mizzou divers advanced that far. After three top-three finishes, including two runner-up efforts, at this year's Big 12 Championships, Watters will look to repeat as an NCAA qualifier this weekend. Melnychuk also brings momentum into the weekend, having placed third on both the 3-meter board and the platform at the conference championships.
"In order for us to be successful, we need to step up to anything the competition throws at us," Sweeney said. "That's something we've been doing all year, so this weekend should be no different."
The action starts on Friday at 10 a.m. with the women's 1-meter dive, followed by the men on the 3-meter in the afternoon. On Saturday, the men will dive from the 1-meter at 10 a.m. and the women will take to the 3-meter later in the day. Sunday will feature platform action, beginning at 10 a.m. with the women and finishing up with the men in the afternoon.