Stultz, Caiazzo take crowns in Athens

They say there is no substitute for experience. But as two more members of the Pitt swimming… They say there is no substitute for experience. But as two more members of the Pitt swimming and diving teams proved over the weekend, achievement on a national level knows no age restrictions.

Pitt sophomore divers Kristin Caiazzo and Jeremy Stultz stood out at the Men’s and Women’s NCAA Zone Diving Meet held in Athens, Ga., last Friday and Saturday to earn each of them a bid in the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, upping the total number of Panther qualifiers to six.

Caiazzo grabbed the top spot on the 3-meter boards in the women’s event with a score of 552.20.

The sophomore out of Princeton, N.J., will be the first woman Panther to attend the NCAA Championship since Jen O’Brien did so more than four years ago.

In addition to Caiazzo, Pitt will also send Jordan Wallace, Kelly Redcay, Stacey Safritt and Kristin Brown to represent the Panthers in the women’s 400-meter relay.

Caiazzo also placed 19th in the 1-meter event, scoring 203.60.

This is the first NCAA Championship for Caiazzo, but the breakout diver isn’t short on experience.

Caiazzo won her first Big East Championship earlier this season, placing first on the 1-meter boards. She also placed in the finals in the 3-meter event.

Joining Caiazzo as the second Panther sophomore diver to advance to the NCAA Championship is Stultz, who also claimed the top spot in the 3-meter event at the Diving Zones.

Stultz blew the other divers out of the water on the 3-meter boards, scoring a whopping 676.60. The Pittsburgh native almost went two-for-two, narrowly missing a victory on the 1-meter boards with a second-place score of 651.45.

“Jeremy continued his yearlong outstanding performance,” assistant head coach Julian Krug told PittsburghPanthers.com. “After qualifying in eighth place, he came away with a win in the 3M over a very tough Princeton opponent.”

Stultz also earns his first NCAA Championship appearance, although he too has become very accomplished in a short time as a Panther.

Stultz earned his first Big East Championship as a freshman on the 1-meter boards and was named an All-Big East diver in his inaugural year.

This year, Stultz defended his 1-meter Big East crown and nabbed another in the 3-meter event on his way to being named 2006 Big East Diver of the Year.

Another young but familiar name that made a splash at the Zones was Pitt freshman Aleksandr Volovetski.

The Big East platform diving champion took third on the 1-meter boards and ninth on the 3-meter, with scores of 618.45 and 599.80, respectively.

The 2006 Women’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships will be held in Atlanta on March 16, where all five Panther women can be seen in action.

Stultz is the only men’s performer Pitt is sending to the Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships in Atlanta on March 23.