PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Notre Dame is now three-for-four in diving events at the 2010 BIG EAST Swimming & Diving Championships at Trees Pool in Pittsburgh, Pa. Fighting Irish junior diver
Wes Villaflor took to top mark at the trials and did not look back, finishing with a mark of 373.65 to take the title. For his efforts, Villaflor was named the championship’s Most Outstanding Diver.
Villaflor held a 45.3 point lead on the field after the trials. Notre Dame’s Nathan Geary (333.15) stood in second after the preliminaries with Pittsburgh’s Colin Forner (299.55) rounding out the top three.
The Notre Dame duo held their leads in the finals to claim the top two spots. Connecticut’s Stephen Ferreira improved four spots and 46.9 points to take third overall.
The BIG EAST Swimming & Diving Championships resumes Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. as men’s and women’s swimming teams will both be in action.
Notre Dame men’s diving coach Caiming Xie was named the BIG EAST Diving Coach of the Year. On the women’s side, Louisville’s Mike Zehnder earned top coaching honors. Another Cardinal, freshman Hannah Gadd was named the women’s Most Outstanding Diver.
BIG EAST Diving Awards
Men’s Most Outstanding Diver
Wes Villaflor, junior, Notre Dame
Women’s Most Outstanding Diver
Hannah Gadd, freshman, Louisville
Men’s Diving Coach of the Year
Caiming Xie, Notre Dame
Women’s Diving Coach of the Year
Mike Zehnder, Louisville