NCAAs to kick off in Texas

Two members of the men's swimming and diving team will be representing IU at the NCAA Championships, starting today. The national title meet unfolds today through March 29 in Austin, Texas.\nJuniors Marc Carlton and Claes Andersson will be competing at the tournament. Junior Matt Leach and sophomore Murph Halasz were selected as alternates but did not travel to the competition.\nAndersson will be competing in both 50 and 100 yard freestyle events while Carlton will be competing in three events: the one-meter, three-meter and platform. Carlton earned his NCAA berth by finishing second in the NCAA diving regionals on March 15. \nWith a strong performance at the NCAA tournament, Carlton can finish up an already successful season. \n"If I have a decent meet, I will make the finals in all three events I'm competing in," Carlton said. "I think it's a realistic goal, and I hope to reach it."\nWith so few spots available, it made making the cut for the NCAAs more difficult, diving coach Jeff Huber said. \n"If we had more spots, maybe six or seven, then I think we would have been able to bring more divers to the competition," Huber said. \nCarlton and Andersson arrived in Texas Monday along with Huber and swimming coach Ray Looze. \n"We got here early so that we could practice at the facility and so I could get used to the boards," Carlton said.\nCarlton, who finished in 12th place on the three-meter event at last year's NCAA competition, said he is calm and ready to perform. \n"Honestly, I've been very relaxed the whole time I've been here," he said. "It doesn't even feel like I have a meet this week."\nAndersson, who Looze said is the team's "most experienced sprinter," is making his first trip to the NCAA competition this weekend. \nThe competition continues through Saturday. Preliminaries begin at noon each day with finals at 7 p.m.