GAINESVILLE, Florida (Jan. 17, 2021) – The FIU women's swimming and diving team opened up the 2021 slate of competition on Sunday with a successful showing against in-state foes Florida and Miami, as the Panthers claimed victory in two-of-three events in a competition that featured only divers.
"You know, we don't have many opportunities to practice in water since [Miami Dade College facilities] closed for us due to the Pandemic," said Diving Coach
Nick Yang. "We are only practicing in water three times a week. We used to practice in water five-to-six times per week. However, we needed this opportunity to compete and we did very well and exceeded expectations. With self-discipline, all things are possible."
FIU swept nearly all three events for the day, as the dominant duo of
Mandy Song and
Maha Gouda placed top-two in each of the events they appeared in.
Sophomore Song, who is coming off a record-breaking performance at the FGCU Invitational, placed first in both the 3-meter event and the 1-meter springboard on Sunday, with scores of 338.60 and 324.80, respectively.
Gouda earned second-place in both the 3-meter and the platform event, with scores of 322.05 and 260.90, respectively.
Due to the effects of the global pandemic, the Panthers have had to adjust their training routine and location for the 2020-21 campaign. Nonetheless, Yang and his group have demonstrated to be a resilient bunch and continue to prove that FIU has one of the best diving programs in the country.
UP NEXT
The full squad is back in action this Friday, Jan. 22, as FIU heads to Coral Gables to see in-state foe Miami again. After having their initial season opener against the Hurricanes canceled back on Nov. 9 due to inclement weather, the Panthers will reconvene at the Norman Whitten Pool this week for a 3 p.m. ET start, as the Panther swimmers break out for the first time in 2021.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Get all the latest information on the team by following on Twitter (@FIUSwimDive), Facebook @FIUSwimmingandDiving) and on Instagram (@FIUSwimDive). General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.
