The University of Tennessee diving team is ready to get in some practice on platform diving this weekend when they take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.
Western Kentucky and UT will be the only two schools competing at the meet, as both schools look to improve their platform diving skills for the upcoming conference championships.
Diving coach Dave Parrington feels this competition could really boost his team.
“It’s set up entirely with the idea that it’ll help us get ready for the SEC’s coming up,” Parrington said. “We don’t get to compete on the platforms very often at all…I happened to get an email from Western Kentucky’s coach looking for the same thing for their conference meet … It’s going to be relatively low-key, but it’s still a competition.”
The last event the UT diving team took part in was against Florida. Freshman Liam Stone won two events after he swept the one-meter and three-meter competitions. He finished with a career best 354.90 on the one-meter.
Tennessee will also be looking for another great performance from Mauricio Robles. The redshirt junior has been dominant all year, showing why he deserved his All-American honors last year. Now, with Western Kentucky and the SEC Championship ahead, Robles is ready to step up even more.
“This week has been a little different because I’m having some trouble with my hip flexor,” Robles said. “We’re just trying to get it better, and just be ready on Saturday. I’m ready for it.”
Injuries have plagued the diving team so far this year, but Parrington and his team are ready to move on and show the country they are still a top contender.
“I’m very pleased with the progress we’ve made as a team,” Parrington said. “On the men’s side, I’m feeling good about where we’re at … On the women’s side, it’s been nothing but injuries. We’re really, really depleted … Once we get through the injury issues on the women’s side, we’re going to be a great position.”
The Tennessee-Western Kentucky competition will take place Saturday at 11 a.m. in the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center.
