Dorman Finishes Second at NCAA Championships
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Sam Dorman saved his best for last.
Competing in the final NCAA Championships of his illustrious career, Dorman captured second place in the men’s 1-meter event to earn All-America recognition with a signature performance.
“It’s the best I’ve ever seen him dive. It was special, happening in my own pool where I dove in college, I just thought it felt like destiny,” head coach Randy Ableman said. “He dove so well.”
Dorman, who was in a deadlock with Purdue’s Steele Johnson for most of the finals, finished just behind the Boilermaker freshman with a score of 457.30. Johnson took first with 468.15 points.
“I didn’t really watch the other divers until the last round, when he was basically tied and came up a hair short,” Ableman said. “I couldn’t be more proud of Sam to put together a performance like that.”
Dorman was not the only Hurricane to step up in a pressure situation. Freshman Briadam Herrera, competing in the first NCAA Championships of his career, took seventh with a score of 397.85 to also earn All-America recognition.
“For a freshman to get in there and do what he did, it’s just great experience for down the road,” Ableman said. “He’s a great competitor, a hungry kid, and I think he’s going to be right up there before it’s all over with a chance to win one.
Both divers earned a spot in the night’s finals with strong showings in preliminaries. Herrera qualified with a score of 389.00, while Dorman earned the eighth nod with a score of 379.95.
“We work our butts off all year long, and it’s all about preparing to be at our peak for this,” Ableman said. “The kids have been putting together some of their greatest performances under the pressure of NCAA finals. It makes me feel like we’re doing the right thing with training and getting their heads right.”
Ableman expects his duo to perform well in Friday’s 3-meter event, but a competitive field will present another day of challenges.
“The first step is to get in that top-8 to get into the finals again,” Ableman said. “It’s a very tough field.”
Dorman continued momentum after a strong run started by fellow divers Thea Vock & Cheyenne Cousineau at the NCAA Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships last week.
“I’m so proud of the way Sam performed. To have your best list senior year your last time around on 1-meter was special,” Ableman said. “I want to finish it off tomorrow the right way. Hopefully the guys will get in the finals and turn it loose again.”
