Donnie Craine spent 30 years at the helm of the Gators diving team and was one of the most respected coaches in the Southeastern Conference. He was named SEC Diving Coach of the Year four times while at Florida and brought two NCAA champion divers through the Gators’ program.
Every race is unique.
There just wasn’t enough left in the tank for the Gators to make a push down the stretch at the NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships, which ended Saturday.
The top four teams after Day 1 of the NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships in Austin, Texas, weren’t much of a surprise, but the order was. Texas sits in first with 146 points, Cal behind by just one point, Florida trails by 9 points and Michigan down 37 points as the Gators sit in third through the first six events.
The Gators men’s swimming and diving team is No. 1 in the country, has the third most NCAA qualifications, top-10 times in 14 out of 18 events and is the favorite to walk away from Austin, Texas, with the NCAA Championships crown.
Ten swimmers and two relays from the No. 8 Gators women’s swimming and diving team competed in Day 1 of the NCAA Championships in Minneapolis, Minn., on Thursday. Despite setting three school records, the only finals appearance Florida made was in the 400-yard medley relay.
A season of record-setting performances, close wins, near losses and hundreds of hours spent swimming tens of thousands of yards culminates in Milwaukee, Minn., at the three-day NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships that gets started today for the No. 8 Gators (5-3, 3-2 Southeastern Conference).
There will be no divers representing the Gators at this year’s swimming and diving NCAA Championships.
Day 2 of the NCAA Zone “B” Diving Regional Championships wrapped up with two divers in the finals for the Gators, but neither qualified for the national championships being held later this month.
The Gators had mixed results on Day 1 of the NCAA Zone Diving Regional Championships on Monday.
Solutions by The State News
