For the divers of Notre Dame, there remains one more obstacle to overcome before gaining entrance in the year-end NCAA Championships: the NCAA Zone C diving meet.
For some of the divers, such as sophomore Joe Cuomos, it is a matter of continuing excellence. As a freshman last season, Cuomos was able to qualify for one of the eight spots available from Zone C for the championship, scoring a total of 683.20, good for a third-place finish. At this season’s ACC Championships, Cuomos again looked sharp, finishing 11th on the first day of diving with a score of 313.90. However, his teammate, fellow sophomore James Lichtenstein, nudged just ahead of him with a 10th place finish of 314.40. Lichtenstein will look to jump over the hurdle this season, as he was just missed qualifying for the NCAA Championship as a freshman last season.
Elsewhere, the Irish look to send seniors Nick Nemetz and Michael Kreft out with a bang, as they travel to the Zone C Championship for one last shot at making the NCAA cut.
After a fifth-place finish at the ACC Championships, the whole Irish squad wrapped up their regular season with a 6-6 split in dual meets. However, even though the major season is over for the majority of the team, several members of the team will continue on to the biggest race of the season: the NCAA Championships. Notre Dame’s NCAA qualifiers will have a month to train before they travel to Iowa City, Iowa, for the annual conclusion to the Division I Men’s Swimming Championships.
The Irish begin their quest for NCAA qualification at the NCAA Zone C Meet on Thursday, March 12, at McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion in Columbus, Ohio. The meet will run through the weekend and conclude Saturday, March 14.
