Senior diver Derrick Butts will compete in the NCAA Zone Diving Championships this weekend, hosted by the University of Buffalo at the Alumni Arena Natatorium in Buffalo, New York. 

Butts qualified for the tournament by winning the CAA title in both the one and three meter dives this season.  Before winning the conference meet two weeks ago, Butts put together a dominant final month of the regular season. 

Butts won five out of the six events he competed in last January and also took home the CAA Male Diver of the Week award after each of his three competitions.  On January 14^th, he finished first in the 1-meter and 3-meter dives, helping Mason to a victory over Towson, 205-93. In the 1-meter Butts posted a score of 346.58 and a mark of 331.28 in the 3-meter event.  On January 21^st, Butts helped Mason defeat American, 198-101, by posting a score of 322.85 in the 1-meter dive. Most recently, on January 28^th, the senior led Mason to a defeat of George Washington, 162-127, with scores of 374.62 in the 1-meter and 409.12 in the 3-meter. Both scores were season-highs in the CAA this year.  Butts has now tallied 15 total wins so far this season as well as eight CAA Male Diver of the Week awards.

Butts will compete against 47 divers from 27 schools and 10 conferences with the first round beginning on Friday.  Butts and senior swimmer Ashley Danner are the two representatives for Mason in the NCAA Championships.  Danner will compete next weekend in Auburn, Alabama.