March 15, 2014
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The University of Notre Dame men’s diving team closed competition Saturday at the NCAA Zone C Diving Championship meet at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion with positive results. Freshman Joe Coumos became the first Irish diver to earn a bid to the NCAA Championship since Michael Bulfin participated at the 2008 national championship meet in Federal Way, Wash.
A total of 17 automatic bids were available at the Zone C meet, with eight men and nine women punching a ticket to the NCAA Championship on March 27-29 at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin, Texas.
Coumos sewed up the number seven bid into the NCAA Championship by way of a third place finish in the 1-meter dive on Friday night. Coumos’ final score of 683.20 points was just under two points from top finisher Emad Abdelatif of Indiana, and assured the Notre Dame newcomer of his first career NCAA qualifying score.
Coumos opened the competition Thursday night with a fifth place result off the 3-meter board, nearly breaking into the top three in the discipline with a finals score of 697.35. By way of the top five placement, Coumos also would have been eligible to be invited to dive the 1-meter event at the NCAA meet, currently residing in 11th on the qualification chart.
Junior Nick Nemetz narrowly missed a bid to the national championship meet after placing seventh in the 1-meter dive, which put him 18th in the qualification rankings following a finals score of 611.00 on Friday. Nemetz also finished 25th off the 3-meter board on Thursday following a preliminary score of 268.80.
Junior Michael Kreft posted his best score of the championship in the 1-meter dive, placing 13th with a final point total of 578.30. Kreft added a 15th place effort off the 3-meter board following his final score of 608.15 points.
Freshman James Lichtenstein was the fourth Notre Dame diver to earn a finals bid during the NCAA Zone C Championship, logging a 17th place finish (557.25) in the 1-meter dive.
Notre Dame NCAA Zone C Diving Championship Results
1-Meter Dive (Totals)
Joe Coumos – Third Place – 683.20#
Nick Nemetz – Seventh Place – 611.00
Michael Kreft – 13th Place – 578.30
James Lichtenstein – 17th Place – 557.25
Ted Wagner – 21st Place – 274.30 (prelim)
3-Meter Dive (Totals)
Joe Coumos – Fifth Place – 697.35*
Michael Kreft – 15th Place – 608.15
James Lichtenstein – 23rd Place – 278.55 (prelim)
Ted Wagner – 24th Place – 276.80 (prelim)
Nick Nemetz – 25th Place – 268.80 (prelim)
Platform Dive (Totals)
Joe Coumos – 13th Place – 276.55 (prelim)
# – NCAA Championship Qualifying Score
* – NCAA Championship Potential Invitee Score
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