The South Carolina diving team will compete at the NCAA Zone B Diving Championships in Athens, Georgia, from March 8 to 11. Divers who qualify at this event will earn a place in the upcoming NCAA Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship.
After preliminary rounds, the top 18 divers advance to the finals. The number of qualifying spots for each event varies: 11 for women’s 1-meter, nine for women’s 3-meter, seven for women’s platform, eight for men’s 1-meter, six for men’s 3-meter, and seven for men’s platform. Divers who automatically qualify in one event can add another if they finish among the top 12.
Senior Sophie Verzyl led South Carolina’s performance at the recent SEC Championships by winning gold medals in both the 1-meter and defending her title in the 3-meter events. She was named SEC Female Diver of the Meet after being nominated and voted on by other SEC swimming and diving coaches. Verzyl also reached the consolation final in platform diving, finishing 16th overall.
Last season, Verzyl received All-American Honorable Mention honors in both springboard events after placing ninth in the 1-meter and eleventh in the 3-meter at NCAAs. Her score was second-highest overall in the field during last year’s NCAA competition.
Other Gamecock athletes included Aislinn Zuechner, who finished 23rd in the SEC women’s 1-meter and 16th in the 3-meter events. Reagan Patterson placed eighteenth on platform, twenty-ninth on three meter, and thirtieth on one meter.
On the men’s side at SECs, Charley Bayer finished tenth on platform, twentieth on three meter, and twenty-fourth on one meter. He is set to make his fourth consecutive appearance at NCAA Zone Championships as he concludes his collegiate career.
The championships schedule begins Sunday with women’s one meter preliminaries starting at 12:15 p.m., followed by finals later that afternoon. Monday features women’s three meter prelims and finals before men’s one meter events take place that evening. Tuesday includes women’s platform and men’s three meter competitions; Wednesday concludes with men’s platform events.
All sessions will be available via streaming coverage on ESPN+.
