Divers hit stride for stretch run

Throughout the year, diving head coach Jeff Huber has been far more concerned with personal improvement than dual meet wins and losses, encouraging his team to stay focused on the bigger picture. Now, with IU hosting the Big Ten championship meet beginning Feb. 28, Huber is beginning to watch his words of wisdom blossom into fruition. \nIn IU's last meet before Big Tens (Feb. 9, a win against Purdue), Huber saw his team put together one of their most complete efforts of the year. The trio of sophomore Marc Carlton, junior Adam Hazes and sophomore Alex Burns went 2-3-4 off of the one-meter boards and finished 1-2-3 in an impressive display off of the three-meter boards. Not only did those three scores become the top three scores off of the three-meter for the season, but they also qualified each diver for NCAAs and Carlton's came close to beating the pool record. \n"We're getting closer to Big Tens and I think we look like we're getting closer to Big Tens," Carlton said. "At Big Tens, the three-meter is what I really want to do best at, so I was happy with my performance." \nThe Purdue meet was only Hazes' second meet back after suffering a bone bruise. Huber said he has been pleased with Hazes' performance, particularly his improvement on his reverse two-and-a-half tuck off of the one-meter boards.\n"Adam Hazes has finally stepped up and dove the way he's supposed to," Huber said. "He came into the (Purdue) meet with some fire and dove up to his potential. So we're really glad to see him do that. He is probably diving the best that I've seen him."\nAfter missing several days because of injury, Burns resumed practicing yesterday and is focused on Big Tens. Burns hopes his front three-and-a-half and reverse two-and-a-half twister will score him points when Big Tens begin. \n"Alex is starting to figure things out -- he's going to do really well at Big Tens this year," Carlton said. "He's really going to do well and he's just got some awesome stuff."\nAs for Carlton, a slip up on his gainer two-and-a-half is all that prevented him from setting the pool record for score in the three meter event against Purdue. \n"He missed his gainer-two-and-a-half which is actually his best dive, or he would have been very close to the pool record by Mark Lenzi," Huber said. "So, that has to tell you how good this kid is going to be."\nBurns said the team is beginning to come together, and that unity will foster success in the championship meet. \n"We're prepared for the meet," Burns said. "It's fairly important to be coming together as a team. If you're not a team then you don't have the support. If you're sticking together and having support, you feel a lot better going in."\nWhile it seems his squad is hitting its stride at just the right time, Huber said he is -- and always will be -- concerned with further improvement. \n"I'll say that until the day I die," Huber said. "But I saw a lot of areas that we have improved in. And that's really nice to see. It means all the hard work that our divers have done all year is starting to pay off, and that's rewarding"