March 13, 2005
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Notre Dame Sam Stoner (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso H.S.) concluded his freshman season Saturday afternoon, finishing 28th in three-meter action with a score of 228.05 points in the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center. He was the first Notre Dame rookie to compete in the meet since 2000.
Stoner, who finished 17th in one-meter action at the zone meet on Friday, was the first of the 32 divers to hit the water, and he stood 23rd following one round after posting a score of 43.40 points on a forward 3.5 somersault. Three dives later, he stood 30th, but a score of 48.00 on a forward 2.5 somersault with a twist moved him up to 27th with one dive remaining in prelims. Stoner, who took fifth in the event at last month’s BIG EAST Championships, slipped one spot in the final round, ending up 35.75 points behind the last qualifier for finals, David Hanisch of Purdue (263.80).
The season is over for all but sophomore Tim Kegelman (Yorktown, Va./Tabb H.S.), who will be the first Notre Dame swimmer ever to compete in the NCAA Championships, slated for March 24-26 at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.