South Dakota State University men's diver Connor Florand has qualified for the NCAA Zones 1-meter diving competition later this season.

A sophomore from Forest Lake, Minn., Florand recorded the qualifying mark with a score of 300.60 in a double dual against St. Cloud State and Wisconsin-La Crosse Nov. 12 in St. Cloud, Minn. His mark also set a school record and is the top performance in The Summit League this season.

Florand is the first Jackrabbit diver during the Division I era to qualify for the Zone D competition, which will be held March 5-11 in Iowa City, Iowa. The top nine competitors in the Zone D competition will advance to the Division I Championships March 22-24 in Federal Way, Wash.

Florand earned NCAA Division II All-America honors during his freshman season at Minnesota State, Mankato, but transferred to SDSU after the Mavericks dropped their men's swimming and diving program.

Both the Jackrabbit men's and women's swimming and diving teams return to the water Saturday afternoon, traveling to a dual at the University of South Dakota. Start time is slated for 1 p.m. at the DakotaDome.