Heading into the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Federal Way, Wash., IU junior diver Zac Nees said that the team's goal would be to finish in the top 10 in the standings when it was all said and done.
After three days of competition against the best swimmers and divers across the nation, the goal has been achieved. IU finished with 140 points through the span of the meet, good enough for a 10th place finish at the NCAA Championships. That is the Hoosiers' highest placing since 2008, when the team also finished in 10th.
The Hoosiers Top 10 effort was led by a slew of five NCAA diving first team All-American finishes, and three honorable mention All-American efforts. Leading the Hoosiers in the pool was Nees, who finished as a first team All-American in the 3-meter (380.00 points) and platform dive (343.95), and an honorable mention in the 1-meter dive (370.10).
In addition, sophomore Darian Schmidt was a first team All-American in the 3-meter dive, junior Mick Dell'Orco a first team All-American in the 1-meter dive and sophomore Conor Murphy a first team All-American in the platform dive. Combined, the Hoosier divers accounted for 71 of the team's overall 140 points.
The Hoosiers also got major points from sophomore Cody Miller, who scored in the 200-yard Individual Medley, 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard breaststroke. Miller first broke the IU school record in the 200 IM in a 10th place finish, racing a 1:44.02 in the finals. Miller then followed with a seventh place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke on Friday, and then finished ninth on Saturday in the 200 breast.
Finally, junior Sam Trahin earned first team All-American honors after finishing fourth in the 400-yard IM on Friday. Not only did Trahin set the IU school record in the finals for the event with a time of 3:44.37, he also broke the record during preliminaries, when he raced a 3:44.49.
Things are only looking up from here for the IU Swimming and Diving team. The Hoosiers will return every point scorer from the NCAA's next season, and will return future senior Eric Ress, who most recently finished second in the 200-meter backstroke at the French National Championships on Thursday. For now though, the wait to return to the pool next fall begins.
