Although the Boston University men’s and women’s diving teams didn’t make it to the NCAA National Championships this season, no one is calling it a disappointment.
Sophomores Alex Crerar and Brian Lawler represented the Terriers in the NCAA Zone A National Championships where 23 schools competed this past weekend in Piscataway, N.J. Although neither qualified for the NCAA National Championships in Minneapolis, Minn., their strong performances to finish the season will provide valuable experience for the next two years.
For the women’s team, Crerar competed in all three events – the 3-meter, 1-meter and the platform. She finished 15th in the 3-meter with a score of 470.9 and 28th in the one-meter with 191.35 points. She saved the best for last on the third day of competition in the platform dive, which she hasn’t competed in all year.
“I don’t know what to expect,” said BU coach Agnes Miller-Gerlach before the event.
Crerar proved herself more than capable, finishing third in the primaries with a score of 215.05 and fourth in the finals with 421.35 points. It was an impressive feat considering it was the first time she competed in the platform dive this season.
“During the season we don’t have the platform unless we have a bigger competition,” Miller-Gerlach said. “Hopefully someday we’ll have a bigger budget. For now, we just train for it in January. They love it and they’re good at it.”
On the men’s side, Lawler also performed well in two events despite battling a strained muscle in his shoulder. He placed 14th in the one-meter with 512.3 points. Lawler unleashed a new dive in the three-meter called a front two-and-a-half somersault with one twist. It was good enough to earn 10th place out of 18 divers with a score of 591.7 points.
“He did very well,” Miller-Gerlach said. “He competed his new dive. It was his best of the season.”
Miller-Gerlach is expecting Lawler to continue improving and trying more difficult jumps next season. To improve his confidence, they concentrated on completing easier dives perfectly for higher scores. The strategy should pay off in competitive environments like the Zone A Nationals.
“Brian doesn’t have the degree of difficulty dives,” Miller-Gerlach said. “We did easier dives for higher scores. He needs more confidence. We need bigger competitions for them to understand how good they are.”
The confidence and experience Lawler and Crerar gained at this competition are things they will try to carry into next season in order to improve.
“They weren’t as confident in this competition as they were in the season,” Miller-Gerlach said. “It was harder to concentrate and they are nervous. Next year we can be more confident.”
Miller-Gerlach’s confidence lies in the sophomores, Lawler and Crerar, who will only get better in time. Both showed poise in a competitive atmosphere – Lawler, by battling through an injury to unleash a dive he hadn’t tried before, and Crerar, by succeeding in an event she hadn’t competed in this year. The confidence and experience gained at this event should go a long way toward a successful 2008 season.
“We’re trying to get some new recruits,” said Miller-Gerlach about next season, “and Brian and Alex both gained more experience, and hopefully next year we will do better.”