Feb. 11, 2011
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Four Auburn divers qualified for Friday night's finals after the first day of preliminaries at the 2011 SEC Diving Championships held on the campus of the University of Florida. The Tigers qualified two on the men's one-meter and two on the women's three-meter.
"It was a great morning session for us having four divers advance to the evening's competition," head diving coach Jeff Shaffer said. "It's going to be a great finals session tonight and we're looking forward to it."
Redshirt senior Dan Mazzaferro had a solid morning as the Cheshire, Conn., product qualified first on the one-meter springboard. He captured the top spot after he totaled a season-best 360.50 points.
Also qualifying for the evening's championship session was John Santeiu IV. The freshman from Dearborn Heights, Mich., finished seventh during the prelims with a season-best score of 338.95.
"Dan (Mazzaferro) led the way on the one-meter and stepped up," Shaffer said. "John (Santeiu) did a great job making the first championship finals of his career."
Juniors Vennie Dantin and Anna Aguero put together a pair of top performances as the duo finished first and second following the three-meter springboard preliminaries. Dantin, of Conroe, Texas, recorded a season-best score of 346.65 to qualify first for the evening's finals. Aguero, a Moultrie, Ga., product, tallied a career-best score of 341.90 to finish second.
"Vennie (Dantin) and Anna (Aguero) did what we've been training to do all season," Shaffer said. "They came in and were consistent and qualified first and second."
The men's one-meter finals kick off at 5 p.m. ET with the women's three-meter at 6 p.m. ET from the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
Auburn Swimming and Diving
2010 SEC Diving Championships - Day One Preliminaries
Friday, February 11, 2011
Stephen C. O'Connell Center; Gainesville, Fla.
Auburn Finalists - Men's One-Meter: Championship Finalists - 1. Dan Mazzaferro (360.50); 7. John Santeiu IV (338.95); Women's Three-Meter: Championship Finalists - 1. Vennie Dantin (346.65); 2. Anna Aguero (341.90).