Florida Divers Conclude NCAA Zone Diving
Monday, March 15, 2010 | Men's Swimming & Diving
Following the three-day NCAA Zone B Diving Championships on the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta, two Gators qualified to represent the Florida women at the 2010 NCAA Championships March 18-20 in West Lafayette, Ind.
Senior Kara Salamone (Cooper City, Fla.) and junior Monica Dodson (Franklin, Ind.) each solidified one of the eight spots in the Zone B women's competition for NCAAs.
Salamone, the 2010 SEC Women's Diver of the Year, turned in a second-place finish on both the platform and one-meter springboard, while checking in at fourth-place in the three-meter springboard at the Zone B Championships. Salamone, who earned All-America honors at last year's NCAA meet for her seventh-place platform finish and 14th-place one-meter finish, will represent the Gators at her second NCAA Championships donning the Orange and Blue.
Dodson will prepare to compete in her third NCAA Championship for the Gators after finishing ninth on the one-meter board, fifth in the three-meter competition and fifth on the platform at Zones at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center this weekend. A two-time All-America selection, Dodson finished eighth on the platform her freshman season in 2008 and 16th in the event in 2009.
For the third time in diving coach Donnie Craine's storied career at UF, more than one Gator diver qualified for the NCAA meet.
While Florida's men didn't claim any of the open NCAA slots in the men's competition in Atlanta, the Gators turned in several top-10 finishes, including a seventh-place platform finish for Anthony Lewark (Davie, Fla.) and a 10th-place finish in the three-meter competition for the sophomore. Lewark additionally took 11th on the one-meter board.
In the one-meter and three-meter competitions, respectively, Jon Speed (Jupiter, Fla.) took 17th and 18th to represent the Gators.
The Florida women will hit the water on the Purdue University campus Thursday through Saturday for the 2010 NCAA campaign.
-UF-
