FGCU Diving Team Heads To Clemson

The Eagles and Tigers will square off in a dual meet for the first time in program history and compete in both the one-meter and three-meter dives Wednesday afternoon. The two teams have met at invitational meets in the past, which most recently includes the Georgia Tech Invite last month.

FGCU is led by senior diver Ashely Wright (Port St. Lucie, Fla./Indian River State/Lincoln Park Academy), who has already surpassed the NCAA Zone Diving Standard in both the one-meter and three-meter dives and has been named the CCSA Diver of the Week after each of her four competitions this season. After eclipsing the NCAA mark off the low dive with a score of 268.20 at UCLA, Wright shattered the mark with a personal record of 282.95 at the FGCU Quad Meet against FSU, Florida Southern and West Florida. She also came up just shy of her personal record in the high dive with a score of 284.15 at the quad meet, which was good for another NCAA standard. In less than two full seasons with the Green and Blue, Port St. Lucie native continues to rewrite the FGCU record book as she owns five of the program’s top-10 all-time marks in the one-meter and four in the three-meter.

Clemson uses a blend of youth and experience as underclassmen Freida Lim and Jaya Brown as well as senior Danielle Reitsma lead the way for the Tigers. Most recently, Lim set the program record in the platform dive (301.40) as she won the event by more than a 50-point margin at the Virginia Tech Invitational. Brown joined Freida in Blacksburg, Va., and qualified for the finals in both the one-meter and three-meter dives, while Reitsma led the way at Georgia Tech with a fifth-place finish in the one-meter finals. All three divers have eclipsed the NCAA Zone Diving Standard in at least one event this season.

UP NEXT
In its final competitions prior to the holiday break, the FGCU swimming team will host CCSA opponent UNC Asheville at the FGCU Aquatics Center Sunday, Dec. 18. The Green and Blue are 33-1 all-time against conference foes after defeating UNF, 159-95, earlier this season.

FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-date coverage of FGCU women’s swimming and diving, follow us on Twitter @FGCU_WSWIM and visit www.FGCUAthletics.com where full recaps and results will be available.

HEAD COACH DAVE ROLLINS
First-year head coach Dave Rollins became the program’s second head coach in program history on Sept. 1, 2016. Most recently the associate head men’s swimming coach at The Ohio State University, Rollins brings 10 years of coaching experience at the club, high school and collegiate levels. A standout collegiate athlete in his own right, Rollins was a nine-time NCAA All-American and national champion as a member of the University of Arizona swimming & diving team from 2002-06.

SUPPORT THE CAUSE
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics’ charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.