Springfield, Mass. - March 9, 2011 - Three Springfield College men's divers are headed to the NCAA Division III Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships that will take place March 23-26, 2011. The trio of Brooks Farrar, Brian Sobel, and Kenny Pancoast will compete at the Allan Jones Aquatic Center in Knoxville, Tenn.Only one other institution in the nation will send multiple male divers to Knoxville this year, as Denison University will have two divers competing in the event. The three Springfield divers will be the only representatives from the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) competing in the national championships.
For Sobel, it will be his third consecutive appearance in the national event. The senior finished second in the one-meter event during this season’s NEWMAC Championships in late February before winning the three-meter event. At last year's NCAA Championships, Sobel was the national runner-up on the one-meter and finished seventh on the three-meter board to earn a pair of All-American honors.
Classmate Farrar earned NEWMAC Men's Diver of the Year after reversing Sobel’s finishes at the NEWMAC Champioships, taking first in the one-meter event and second in the three-meter event.
Pancoast finished in third place in both the one-meter and three-meter events at the NEWMAC Championships as he will make his first trip to the national meet.
The group will by led by Pete Avdoulos, who was recently named the NEWMAC Men's Diving Coach of the Year for fourth-straight year.
John Taffe enters his 25th season in 2013-2014 as the head coach of the men's and women's swimming teams at Springfield College. Under Taffe’s leadership, the Pride has returned to its status as one of the best collegiate swimming and diving programs in Division III. Read more.
Peter Avdoulos is regarded as one of the top diving coaches in the nation, and will enter his 28th season as the diving coach for both the men's and women's programs in 2012-2013. The current NEWMAC Men's Diving Coach of the Year, Avdoulos has coached countless All-New England and All-American divers, as well as several National Champions. Read more.