TROY, NY - Jumbo divers Johann Schmidt and Matthew Rohrer both qualified to compete at the 2014 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships in Indianapolis March 19-22 by virtue of their performances at the NCAA Regional hosted by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Robison Pool this weekend.
For the second straight year, Schmidt won off both the one-meter and three-meter boards at the Regional to automatically qualify for Nationals. Rohrer, who was not among the top three in Friday's one-meter event, earned his spot by placing third to qualify in three-meter. Both divers will be entered in both events at the NCAA meet.
Nearly matching his record performance at the NESCAC Championships a week ago, Schmidt won the NCAA Regional one-meter competition on Friday. Competing among 20 divers who qualified for the Regional, Schmidt was first with a 576.20 final score after his 11-dive program. The top three automatically move on to the NCAA's. He had nearly a 40-point margin of victory over Amherst's Mark Idleman (537.55), the runner-up. Oneonta's Jermaine Miller was third at a 529.45 score.
On Saturday he was even better in three-meter, scoring a school-record 592.20 on 11 dives for the victory. He was 30 points ahead of Amherst's second-place finisher Colin White (561.35).
Rohrer punched his ticket to the NCAA meet on Saturday by scoring 546.95 in three-meter for third place. He had scored fifth in one-meter on Friday with a 507.30 score.
At the NESCAC meet hosted by Bowdoin College a week ago, Rohrer was the three-meter champion at his first conference meet by scoring 533.70. Schmidt won the one-meter conference title with a 578.15 score that was a new pool, school, NESCAC and conference championship meet record. They will now travel as teammates to Indianapolis in search of further success.
Schmidt won off both boards at the 2013 NCAA Diving Regional, the first time this procedure was used to determine the divers who qualify for Nationals. He scored 588.95 in three-meter and 543.20 in one-meter. He was the 2012 NCAA one-meter champion in Indianapolis with a 527.35 score. A five-time All-American, Schmidt will be competing at the NCAA meet all four years of his Tufts diving career. Rohrer, a freshman, will be at his first.
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