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Inside Hokie Sports
said. “I’m very proud of her, and I’m excited to see how her senior year
goes.”
The Tech men’s team consists of divers who once again are expected
to be one of the top scoring teams in the conference. The Castro-Silva
brothers,EduardoandMauro,returnafterbothperformedexceptionally
well at the ACC Championships and sophomore Ben Schiesl returns
after posting top-10 dives at the conference championship.
Piemonte noted that, in practice, any diver could beat the other
on any given day. His athletes feed off of the competition with one
another, and they pride themselves on being one of top men’s diving
units in the ACC. They refuse to boast, though, because they expect it
from themselves every season.
“I think we’ve got some really strong divers on all three levels, and I
think they showed it last year,” Piemonte said. “There are no freshmen,
so they’re all returners, and they were all successful last season. I think
our men’s team is a really solid group of guys who are capable of being
the highest-scoring team in the ACC on the diving end.”
The program is also excited about once again being the hosts for
the NCAA Zone A Diving Championships at the Christiansburg Aquatic
Center from March 6-8. Historically, the Hokie divers have performed
well at their home pool, where they feel comfortable with the lighting
and equipment.
“It’s great to be hosting the Zone A Championships in your own
pool,” Piemonte said. “It’s better for the athletes from a visualization
standpoint because you’re there every day and it’s one of the most
important meets of the year when qualifying for NCAA Championships.
“I’ve been very fortunate with the group of athletes I have, and I’m
looking forward to this season. There are always going to be ups and
downs, but we’re going in with kids who know what to expect and what
they’re capable of, and that knowledge goes a long way.”
SWIMMING
The Hokie swimmers consist of a solid foundation of All-Americans,
school record holders and 24 talented newcomers, many of whom
expect to contribute right away. Skinner couldn’t have picked a better
time to bring in such a large haul of freshmen, though, as he feels that
the strength of his group entering the 2016-17 season centers on its
leadership.
SWIMMING
AND
DIVING SQUADS
READY FOR 2016-17 CAMPAIGN
Continued
from page 36