Minneapolis – The Trinity University Tigers have produced a second national champion in less than a week.

Senior Lindsay Martin of Longview, Texas (Pine Tree), captured the NCAA Division III Women's Diving 1-meter national championship Thursday night at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.

Martin registered a score of 472.25, outdistancing second-place Sarah Ficarro of SUNY-Fredonia by nearly 15 points (457.30). Michelle Reggio of Springfield was third (417.50).

“It means everything to me,” Martin said. “I never would have believed my freshman year, I would be here. It's surreal right now.”

In fifth place was Trinity junior Hayley Emerick of Portland, Texas (Gregory-Portland), with a score of 403.20, just three points from fourth-place finisher Lindsay Gardel of Tufts (406).

Martin, who led the afternoon preliminary round (455.15), was awarded a score of 50.60 by the judges in her sixth and final dive of the night.

Presenting the awards to the eight finalists was Trinity diving coach Stan Randall, in his eighth year at the Tiger helm.

Last week, Tiger senior Todd Wildman of Dallas (Jesuit) won his second consecutive NCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field national pentathlon championship.

Both Martin and Emerick earned All-America honors at last year's NCAA Championships, also held in Minneapolis. In the 1-meter event, Martin finished third and Emerick was sixth. Emerick placed third on the 3-meter board and Martin was fifth. The two Tigers were responsible for Trinity finishing 16th as a team.

In the 2008 NCAAs, held at Oxford, Ohio, Emerick was an Honorable Mention All-American on the 1-meter and 3-meter boards, finishing in ninth place.

Emerick was named Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Female Diver of the Meet last month, for the third year in a row. She made SCAC diving history at the championships, held at Louisville, Ky., becoming the first female diver to win both competition boards for three consecutive years. She captured the 3-meter board, registering 479.45, and the 1-meter, with a 469.45. Martin was SCAC runner-up, with a 451.75 on the 1-meter board, and 459.30 on the 3-meter.

Martin and Emerick will now move on to the 3-meter board on Saturday.