University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
NCAA Championships
Helms Takes Fourth at NCAAs on 3 Meter
March 24, 2012 | Men's Swimming & Diving
March 24, 2012
Tennessee senior Ryan Helms finished fourth on the 3-meter springboard Friday at the NCAA Championships in Federal Way, Wash.
Helms earned first-team All-America honors for the first time in his career, finishing with a six-dive score of 422.70 in the finals. Kristian Ipsen of Stanford totaled 466.05 to win the event.
Helms, who also scored yesterday in the 1-meter event, earned the Vols 15 more points in the team standings.
"It was a really exciting evening," Tennessee diving coach Dave Parrington said. "Ryan's day was a model of consistency. He could've scored better on a few dives, but he didn't miss anything and that paid dividends."
While Helms was pleased with the score and finish, he was not entirely satisfied. He had scored higher than 440 twice this season, including on his way to winning the 3-meter title at the SEC Championships. Still, Friday's performance was a solid improvement from Thursday in which Helms finished 16th on the 1-meter springboard.
"It was good to have a competition already under my belt to get used to things," Helms said. "I was a little more confident on the boards. My family and teammates were here supporting me the whole way, which helped a lot too."
Senior Ricky Henahan was the Vols' lone individual scorer in the pool. Swimming in his final NCAAs, Henahan secured his third honorable mention award in the 100 backstroke. He finished 13th in a time of 47.26 seconds.
His preliminary time of 46.86 was his fastest of the season.
Friday was scheduled to be the Vols' busiest in the 3-day meet, but unfortunately, most of that action was limited to the preliminaries. The Vols' 200 medley relay team, one of the hopeful point-getters for the Orange and White, was disqualified.
Sophomore Oystein Hetland was 38th in the 100 butterfly (48.33), sophomore Samuel Rairden was 40th in the 200 freestyle (1:37.61) and sophomore Renato Prono was 31st in the 100 breaststroke (56.66). Rairden was also 34th in the 100 backstroke (49.29).
On the 3-meter springboard, junior Brent Sterling just missed qualifying for the consolation finals, finishing two places lower at 18th in 355.70. Freshman Mauricio Robles was 21st in 346.85.
NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships
Federal Way, Wash.
Day 2 Results
100 Butterfly: 1. Thomas Shields (California) 44.76; 2. Giles Smith (Arizona) 45.77; 3. Marcin Cieslak (Florida) 45.86 ... 38. Oysten Hetland (Tennessee) 48.33.
200 Freestyle: 1. Daxon Hill (Texas) 1:32.51, 2. Dimitri Colupaev (Southern California) 1:32.91; 3. Joao De Lucca (Louisville) 1:33.49 ... 40. Samuel Rairden (Tennessee) 1:37.61.
100 Breaststroke: 1. Kevin Cordes (Arizona) 51.71; 2. Carlos Almeida (Louisville) 51.78; 3. Martin Liivamagi (California) 51.93 ... 31. Renato Prono (Tennessee) 56.66.
100 Backstroke: 1. Thomas Shields (California) 44.86; 2. David Nolan (Stanford) 45.53; 3. Cole Cragin (Texas) 45.89 ... 13. Ricky Henahan (Tennessee) 47.26 ... 34. Samuel Rairden (Tennessee) 49.29.
3-Meter Diving: 1. Kristian Ipsen (Stanford) 466.05; 2. Drew Livingston (Texas) 454.25; 3. David Bonuchi (Missouri) 434.50... 18. Brent Sterling (Tennessee) 355.70; 21. Mauricio Robles (Tennessee) 346.85.
