Fraser McKean held a strong handstand for roughly four seconds before he strategically pushed off the platform and fell into the acrobatic flips that earned him the men’s title in platform diving at the 2015 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships.
Earlier that day, before he was holding himself upside down with both hands on the 33-foot tower that extended above the deep blue water, McKean said he told himself he was going to crush the dive.
“I’ve been working on that dive all year,” McKean said. “It came down to the last round just like last year. I was thankful that I was able to pull it out and get the win this time.”
Winning the gold medal in the event meant more to him than in the past because it was his last competition dive at home and because he finished second last year, behind Texas A&M’s Ford McLiney
McKean’s last competition dive in James E. Martin Aquatics Center also made him the second Auburn diver to win the platform title in the last three years, as he outscored LSU’s Daniel Helm 451.95-416.8.
“I knew it was going to be a special moment,” McKean said. “So I told myself going into it, ‘No matter what happens, it’s going to be a good dive.’ I just knew it.”
McKean said he had to push through an injury to accomplish his goal, instead of letting it hold him back.
Not long before this year’s SEC’s, he said he couldn’t train for a week because he had a jammed and swollen thumb.
All it took was some medical tape to get Auburn’s top diver back on the tower, according to McKean.
“He’s one of those kids that deals with injury, and just takes it so well,” said coach Brett Hawke. “Outstanding performance in front of the home crowd.”
Not only did his platform dive give the Tigers their first individual win, McKean’s performance pumped up the men’s 400 freestyle relay team that followed his event.
Auburn’s men were the defending champions in the 400 freestyle relay, and up to that point in the competition, the Tigers were yet to finish first in a relay event.
McKean’s win gave the men’s squad some extra motivation as the 400 relay team swam past upstart Alabama in the final event of the meet for another gold medal and recorded the nation’s fastest time this season in the race.
“It was huge for us,” said sophomore Kyle Darmody. “We haven’t won a relay all week. We hadn’t won an individual award since platform right before, so it was huge for us to get a win, especially because we are the defending national champions in that event.”
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
