Members of the Penn State swimming and diving team split apart, as the swimmers headed off to Naples, Fla., to train for the Big Ten Championships, while the divers competed in the Georgia Diving Invitational Jan. 3 and 4.

Senior Mike Alderman led the Nittany Lions with a sixth-place finish in the one-meter springboard and also an eighth-place finish in the three-meter event. In the finals, he scored 274.70 and 299.95 in the two events, respectively.

On the women's side, senior Kimberlee Peifer and sophomore Courtney Adlam earned a spot in the finals for the three-meter springboard. Adlam placed ninth with a score of 237.85, while Peifer placed twelfth on the second day.

Head Coach Bill Dorenkott was pleased with his divers' performances, and he noted that they don't always get the credit that they deserve.

"Often times, our diving team goes unnoticed," he said. "I am very proud of both our swimming and our diving programs."

The invitational featured schools from around the country, including intrastate rival Pittsburgh and several from the Southeastern Conference. The two-day meet included both one-meter and three-meter springboard events with more than 50 divers competing for the top spot.

On the first day, Alderman finished sixth in the prelims of the three-meter event with a score of 291.45 before placing in the finals. Sophomore Josh Myers just missed the finals, earning a 15th-place finish in the prelims with a 228.75, while junior Pat Bukowski earned a score of 205.25, finishing 20th.

The men wrapped up action by competing in the one-meter springboard event. Alderman led the Lions with two top-ten finishes for the meet. Both Myers and Bukowski finished in the top twenty for the one-meter event, with Myers taking 15th with a 233.70 score and Bukowski finishing twentieth.

For the women's team, the first day of action consisted of the three-meter springboard event, and was highlighted by Peifer and Adlam. Each diver finished with high enough scores in prelims to earn a spot in the finals. Peifer achieved a score of 265.80 in prelims, good enough for a fifth place finish, while Adlam captured eighth with a 241.25.

In the finals, both Peifer and Adlam finished in the top half of the divers. Freshman Jocelyn Avery scored in impressive 173.50 in the prelims, but didn't place high enough to receive a spot in the finals.

On the second day, the women's divers attempted to repeat their early success, and went on to compete in the one-meter springboard event. All three divers missed the mark for finals, yet both Adlam and Peifer came close to making the cut. Coincidentally, the two achieved the same score, posting a 211.45, with the cutoff score set at 214.70, for the finals. Avery finished 26th in prelims, earning a score of 165.55.