Three swimmers make the national cut, joining 2 divers

By Nick Garner
The Metropolitan

Swimmers Kristin Schweissing, Scott Watson and Chris Ogden will join divers Cari Lewton and Dan Purifoy at the Division II National Swimming and Diving Meet later this spring.

For Schweissing and Watson, itâs mission accomplished for the second straight season. Ogden is the new kid on the block.

Schweissing and Watson earned All-America honors last season for their efforts at the national competition, and this season they will return with a lot more help than before.

Only three members of last yearâs team qualified for the chance for a title, making five already in 1998 a quantum leap.

ãItâs like we are working up a mountain all season,ä Watson said. ãAt this point in the season, we are at the top of the mountain and are tapering down.ä

Both teams still have several chances for their members to qualify for Nationals, beginning with the Pacific Collegiate Swim and Dive Conference Championships from Feb. 11-14.

ãFor some of the swimmers and divers, the work that they have done has paid off early,ä coach Rob Nasser said. ãI know that we have others who should qualify for nationals after the championships.ä