Two athletes will head to Columbus, Ohio for the 2010 NCAA Championships to represent the ASU men’s swimming and diving team.
Freshmen divers Constantin Blaha and Riley McCormick are the lone representatives for the Sun Devils. The NCAA Championships start on Thursday and last through Saturday.
Although the ASU men’s swimming and diving team didn’t have the strongest season, ending the regular season with a record of 2-7 (0-4 Pac-10), the diving team consistently had top performances for the team.
ASU diving coach Mark Bradshaw is confident his divers will be successful at the NCAA Championships.
“I think they’ll do well,” Bradshaw said. “They’re prepared for it. You have to be consistent and sharp. In terms of preparation they are absolutely ready to go.”
Blaha and McCormick are heading to the NCAA meet on hot streaks.
Although Blaha missed the first half of the season, he made up for it with enthusiasm and strong performances in the Pac-10 Championships and NCAA Zone E Championships.
Blaha placed second on the 3-meter springboard at the NCAA Zone E Championships with 806.00 points. He had a third-place finish on the 1-meter and was second on the tower.
At the Pac-10 Championships, Blaha won the gold medal in the 3-meter springboard and took the silver in the 1-meter. He was named Pac-10 Diver of the Month for that performance.
McCormick is on a winning streak on the platform, taking first place in the event in his last two competitions. At the NCAA Zone E Championships McCormick scored 905.4, beating Blaha by almost 170 points. He has been a standout performer for the ASU men’s team throughout the regular season, consistently placing in dual meets.
Both divers are used to performing under high-pressure situations, as they competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. McCormick traveled there to represent his home country of Canada. McCormick competed in his best event, the 10-meter platform, where he placed 16th. Blaha represented Austria and he placed 22nd on the 3-meter springboard. He also competed at the FINA World Championships and placed 25th on the 3-meter.
The NCAA Championships will be held at Ohio State’s McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion, which is Bradshaw’s alma mater.
The competition will begin with the 1-meter on Thursday, the 3-meter on Friday and will end with the 10-meter platform on Saturday.
Reach the reporter at nklauss@asu.edu
