University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
NCAA Championships
Divers, Relays Jump Start Vols
March 24, 2011 | Men's Swimming & Diving
March 24, 2011
Tennessee's tandem of divers took the Big Orange out of the gates Thursday, the first day of the 2011 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Minneapolis, Minn.
The lone Vols in individual finals on the first night were both in the diving well. Senior Michael Wright, making his NCAA championship debut, finished seventh on the 1-meter with a score of 383.80 points. With the top-8 finish, the Forest Park, Ill., native earns his first All-America honor. Junior Ryan Helms placed 13th with 357.85 points. Both scored for Tennessee.
"I would've liked to see them both in the final, but I was certainly happy for both of our guys," diving coach Dave Parrington said. "I was happy to see Ryan do well after having a not-so-hot meet here last year. He did a great job. Mike did a great job at his first NCAA meet. He struggled a little in prelims but he made the finals and did a great job there."
The 200 free relay team of Michael DeRocco, Samuel Rairden, Ed Walsh and Ricky Henahan gave Tennessee a 12th-place finish to start off the meet with a time of one minute 18.59 seconds.
To wrap up the first day of competition, Henahan, Brad Craig, DeRocco and Harrison finished 10th in the 400 medley relay with a mark of three minutes 7.43 seconds.
Heading into the second day of competition, the Vols sit in 12th place with 40 points. Competition continues Friday with the 200 medley relay, 400 I.M., 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, 800 free relay and 3-meter diving.
Live results, as well as live streaming video can be found at www.UTsports.com.
SCORING REPORT:
200 free relay: 1. Stanford (Coville, Staab, Allen, Wayne) 1:15.26; 12. Tennessee (DeRocco, Rairden, Walsh, Henahan) 1:18.59
500 free: 1. Matt McClean (UVA) 4:10.15; 34. Ryan Harrison (Tennessee) 4:22.93
200 I.M.: 1. Austin Staab (Stanford) 1:41.57P; 46. Jake Epperson (Tennessee) 1:47.74; 48. Michael Christy (Tennessee) 1:48.01
50 free: 1. Nathan Adrian (California) 18.66; T-47. Ed Walsh (Tennessee) 20.13; 49. Michael DeRocco (Tennessee) 20.14
1-meter: 1. David Boudia (Purdue) 461.00; 7. Michael Wright (Tennessee) 383.80; 13. Ryan Helms (Tennessee) 357.85
400 medley relay:
1. California (Barnea, Dugonjic, Shields, Adrian) 3:02.28P; 10. Tennessee (Henahan, Craig, DeRocco, Harrison) 3:07.43
TEAM SCORING:
1. Texas 139; 2. Stanford 136; 3. California 134; 4. Auburn 110.5; 5. Arizona, 99; 6. Virginia 74; 7. Florida 70; 8. Southern Cal 62; 9. Michigan 57; 10. Texas A&M 49; 11. Ohio State 41; 12. Tennessee 40; 13. Minnesota 37; 14. Georgia 30; 15. UNLV 28; Other notable finishes: 18. Louisville 19; 22. Alabama 7; 25. South Carolina 2; 28. Indiana 1
Players Mentioned
