Knight, Lane Named to 2020 USA Diving High Performance Team
LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky divers Chase Lane and Kyndal Knight have been named to the 2020 USA Diving High Performance Squad. The program was established to help USA Diving’s athletes achieve their best and to create a clear path for developing athletes who aspire to have international and Olympic success.
USA Diving has announced 91 athletes who have qualified to be part of the 2020 USA Diving High Performance Squad. The High Performance Squad consists of three tiers, with the third tier being divided into a junior and senior tier, which athletes have qualified for based on scores at designated competitions throughout the previous calendar year.
“I am so proud of those two,” said head diving coach Ted Hautau. “I’m happy they are being recognized for their accomplishments, and I think they’re definitely deserving of this honor. They have worked so hard to get to where they are as divers, and I know there is still more ahead for them.”
USA Diving will offer each selected athlete support based on their level of accomplishment. Being a member of the High Performance Squad does not provide automatic access to international competitions or the Olympics, as those opportunities must be earned according to a clearly defined selection process open to all USA Diving athletes.
“Looking at the athletes selected to be a part of the 2020 High Performance squad, I am extremely proud of not only the depth of talent we have, but also the mix of old faces with new names,” said Dan Laak, High Performance Director for USA Diving.
“As we set our sights on the Olympic Games, Tokyo 2020 and beyond, these divers are the future of our sport. This High Performance Squad is only part of the story. Elite athletes don’t start out as elite, they are developed through our clubs and fantastic coaches throughout the country, and we are happy to come alongside them and help carve out that pathway from grassroots to Olympic Champions.”
Knight was crowned Southeastern Conference Champion on the 3-meter springboard at this season’s SEC Championships. The Stanley, North Carolina, native set a personal-best 353.75 points on the discipline, earning the second-best score in program history and a 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials cut.
Lane, a native of Tallahassee, Florida, is a two-time silver medalist on platform at the SEC Championships. He holds the second-best score on platform in program history, recording 424.65 points at the 2019 SEC Championships.
Both Knight and Lane picked up SEC Freshman Diver of the Year honors in consecutive years (2018, 2019).
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