Senior diver Eric Lex could be on the way to his best season ever with Notre Dame after two big victories against Michigan and Oakland.
Lex led his opponents by over 15 points in both the one-meter and three-meter diving events at last weekend's dual meet against Michigan and Oakland for a sweep. His one-meter dive earned him 336.60 points to top Michigan's Kasey Allen's 321, while his 324.40 points in the three meter dive easily put him ahead of Allen, who placed second once again with 307.85 points.
Irish diving coach Caiming Xie credited Lex's consistency for his two big wins. Xie said that Lex and his fellow divers aren't even at their best performance yet, but that "practice will make it perfect."
Lex attributes his success to his overall technique and to his diving attitude.
"My greatest strength as a diver, I would have to say, is my technique," Lex said. "Having a solid base to build upon makes learning more difficult dives much easier. I also believe that my competitive attitude during practice as well as in meets is another strength of mine."
Lex is no stranger to diving success with the Irish. As a freshman, Lex finished ninth at the Big East championships in the three-meter event and earned third the following year in the same event as a sophomore. The Irish won the conference title both years.
"It is a great feeling having the team come together and accomplish something like this for Notre Dame," Lex said. "I take immense pride in being a part of something so great, and the lessons I have learned from the coaching staff as well as my teammates have been very special to me."
Lex has seen much improvement in his diving so far this season and credits his fellow swimmers and rigorous training schedules as keys to his success.
"Although there is absolutely room for improvement, I believe that the training schedule this year and the overall team atmosphere has had an extremely positive influence on my performances thus far," Lex said.
Lex also holds the support of his teammates as necessary for what he considers his best performance of the year at the Oakland/Michigan meet.
"I felt that everything really came together and my level of focus was great," Lex said. "My teammates were extremely supportive and I don't see myself having been able to perform that well without the support and competitive spirit they provide everyday at practice as well as in the meet atmosphere."
Notre Dame's next challenge will come when it hosts Purdue on Nov. 6. Irish head coach Tim Welsh is preparing the team for a very tough meet. The diving competition should be especially exciting.
"Purdue's diving is outstanding. They have one of the best programs in the country, led by Olympic diver Adam Soldati," Welsh said.
After his wins against Michigan and Oakland, Lex is ready to
take on Purdue.
"I feel confident going into a very competitive Purdue meet," Lex said. "I'm hoping to use these meets as a stepping stone for the meets to come."
