March 7, 2012
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -
Senior Brittany Tazzioli and sophomore newcomer Wenting Zhang will extend their diving season this weekend, competing at the NCAA Zone Diving Regionals in Bloomington, Ind.
The one-meter competition will begin at 1 p.m. Thursday, with three-meter competition scheduled for the same time Friday.
Head diving coach Phil Hoffmann knows earning a spot at the competition is a great honor.
"Both Brittany and Wenting have qualified multiple times this season, which is always a good thing," Hoffman said. "They have really earned the right to be there, and it will be an experience I do not think either one of them has been in before."
Currently home to 113 divers, Illinois State is a part of the largest zone in the country. Tazzioli and Zhang will be two of 63 divers competing this weekend.
"There is an added element of how we have to prepare to stay focused, as well as stay mentally and physically strong," Hoffmann said. "Competing on one event with over 60 divers is a new situation for both our Redbirds. It can very well take up to three hours to complete the event, so focus is key."
Tazzioli first qualified for the zone meet on the one-meter board with a score of 271.27, at a dual meet against Illinois. Over the '11-12 season, the Libertyville,Ill., native qualified three more times, along with qualifying for the three-meter board with a score of 280.65, a personal best score. Tazzioli also scored personal best on the one-meter this season, with a 286.65.
"For Brittany, NCAA's is going to be a great way to end a fantastic collegiate diving career," Hoffmann said. "She is going to be able to compete against incredibly talented divers for her last meet as a Redbird. I think she is well prepared, and she has been training extremely hard."
Zhang, added to the Redbird roster in mid-January, qualified for the NCAA meet in her first weekend competing for ISU, at the UIC Diving Invite. Zhang then went on to win the conference championship on the one-meter board, scoring a 266.20. The Chinese native also won the three-meter, breaking the MVC Championship record on the event, with a 313.15.
"For Wenting, this meet is going to be a continuation of finding out what NCAA diving is all about," Hoffmann said. "She has been diving well in preparation, and I look forward to continue to watch her progress."
Live results from the competition can be found at www.divemeets.com, with Illinois State in Zone C.
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