March 13, 2008

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Members of the Navy diving teams will travel to Buffalo, N.Y., this weekend to compete in the NCAA Zone 'A' Diving Championship. The three-day meet that runs Friday through Sunday is one of five sites across the country that will determine the field of divers for the upcoming NCAA National Championship Meets.

Competing for Navy this weekend at the University at Buffalo Natatorium will be Katie Griffin (Sr., Ellicott City, Md.), Jon Galinski (Jr., Phoenix, Md.), Olaf Olson (Fr., Bainbridge Island, Wash.) and Adam Niekras (Sr., Liverpool, N.Y.), all of whom are vying for their first trip to the national championship.

"We're going to have to dive really well, but I think all four of our divers will be in the mix for a berth to the NCAA Championship," said Navy diving coach Joe Suriano.

Griffin finished the 2007-08 regular season with an undefeated record and won both boards at the Patriot League Championship for the second-straight year to earn the second of her back-to-back female diver-of-the-meet accolades. Galinski matched Griffin's performance at the Patriot League Meet and was named as the event's male diver of the meet, while Olson shared diver-of-the-meet honors at last week's Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming League Championship. Niekras, meanwhile, finished among the top-four divers on both boards at the Patriot League Championship and among the top-12 competitors in each event at the EISL Championship.

Competition begins Friday (1 p.m.) with the women's one meter and the men's three meter events, Saturday's session (1 p.m.) features the men's one meter and the women's three meter, while the men's and women's 10-meter platform event is slated for Sunday (11 a.m.).

A total of five men and five women will advance out of Zone 'A' to the national meet. The women's championship will be held March 20-22 in Columbus, Ohio, with the men's meet taking place March 27-29 in Federal Way, Wash.

Already qualified for the women's meet is Thuy-Mi Dinh (So., Anaheim, Calif.), who posted the first 'A' cut qualifying time in both Navy and Patriot League history with her clocking of 22.37 in the 50 freestyle. That performance places her 14th in the event, while her time of 49.91 in the 100 freestyle places her 56th in the field.