Bethany Haver Earns Second-Straight NCAA Diving Championship Invitation
WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The NCAA Division III diving committee released the 22-woman national championship field on Tuesday afternoon and Washington & Jefferson College senior Bethany Haver (Akron, Ohio/Harvey S. Firestone) earned her second-straight invitation.
The NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships will be held March 21-24 at the Indiana Natatorium in Indianapolis, Ind. Franklin College and the Indiana Sports Corporation will serve as hosts. The 3-meter event is March 22 and the 1-meter championship will be competed on the final day (March 24).
Last year, Haver became the first woman in Presidents’ Athletic Conference history to compete in the national diving championships. She excelled on both boards, becoming a two-time All-American. On the 3-meter board, Haver posted 423.10 points to claim fifth place. She then took seventh place on the 1-meter board two days later with a total of 412.50 points.
Haver battled through injuries this winter to earn a return trip to the NCAA Championships. In February, she dominated both boards once again at the PAC Championships, sweeping the 1-meter (410.85) and 3-meter (427.95) competitions. Haver was also selected as the PAC Diver of the Year for the third time during her career after raising her career conference title total to seven.
On Jan. 14, Haver broke her own school record in the 1-meter event during a dual meet at Grove City when posting 461.77 points. She established the 3-meter school mark as a junior with 457.72 points.
For the second-straight year, Haver will be the only diver representing a college or university from Pennsylvania. Twelve of last year’s 22 competitors also participated last year at the University of Tennessee, including the defending 1- and 3-meter champion, Danica Roskos of The College of New Jersey.
Also joining Haver from last year’s national championship field are: Trinity’s (Texas) Ruth Hahn, Springfield’s Jen Thompson and Courtney Keefe, Baldwin-Wallace’s Julie Pinter, Chicago’s Becky Schmidt, SUNY-Fredonia’s Sarah Ficcaro, Clark’s Eileen Garcia, TCNJ’s Sabrina Lucchesi, St. Thomas’ Jennifer Easton and Amherst’s Lizzy Linsmayer.
Haver’s 2012 appearance will mark the 13th time in the 26-year history of the NCAA Division III Championships that a Washington Jefferson College swimmer or diver will be competing. The 13 different showings are the most among Presidents’ Athletic Conference schools.
Washington & Jefferson men’s and women’s swimming & diving is led by Head Coach Mike Orstein, a 15-time PAC Coach of the Year. He has coached 17 NCAA Division III All-Americans. Diving Coach Vic Galati is a five-time PAC Diving Coach of the Year.
