Springfield, Mass. - December 8, 2008 - After having a terrific weekend on the diving boards, Brian Sobel and Michelle Reggio were recently selected as the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Divers of the Week Sobel was also selected as the ECAC Division III Diver of the Week.The duo was spectacular all weekend, a weekend which head coach Pete Avdoulos describes as one of the best weekends the program has ever had.
At the Lion Invitational at the College of New Jersey this past weekend (Dec. 5-6), Sobel did about as well as a diver could do. In four events, Sobel won all four, and qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships in March in all four. On Friday, he won the 1-meter (11 dives) event with a score of 524.10. He also won the 3-meter (11 dives) event with a score of 526.65. On Saturday, he won the 1-meter (6 dives) event with an SC record of 329.63 (breaking former NCAA Champion Mike Shaw's 2006 mark of 324.975), and followed that up with a win in the 3-meter (6 dives) event with a score of 343.65, missing an SC record by less than a point.
At the same invitational, Reggio won three of four events and qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships in March in all four. On Friday, she won the 1-meter (11 dives) with a Springfield College record of 468.08 (breaking Melissa Nelson's 2007 record of 455.75). She also won the 3-meter (11 dives) event with a score of 463.13. On Saturday, Michelle finished second in the 1-meter (6 dives) with a score of 268.43. She then won the 3-meter (6 dives) with a score of 290.70. On the weekend, five Springfield College divers (male and female) qualified for the NCAA's.
John Taffe enters his 24th season in 2012-2013 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.