Dreyer From Miami and Alabama’s Fleshner Take Home Titles On Zone B Day Two

Alabama: Junior Aaron Fleshner Wins NCAA Zone B Championship
University of Alabama junior Aaron Fleshner won the three-meter board on day two of the NCAA Zone B Diving Championships being held at the Jones Center in Knoxville, Tenn. this weekend.
 
“Aaron is having an outstanding season and today was just another example of that,” Alabama head coach Eric McIlquham said. “We just need to finish off strong tomorrow and see if we can’t get some more bodies to the NCAA Championships.”
 
Fleshner, who qualified for the NCAA Championships on Friday after taking second off the one-meter board, won the three-meter event with a combined prelims and finals score of 799.10, more than 25 points better than second place. Sophomore Adam Booher finished 12th in finals with 657.55 points.
 
Booher, who finaled in the three-meter and platform events at the recent SEC Championships, would need to finish among the top-three off the platform, the meet’s final event, on Sunday to earn an NCAA bid.
 
Freshman Carrie Dragland, who earned an NCAA bid on Friday after taking second off the three-meter board, finished seventh off the one-meter board, scoring 531.50 points between prelims and finals. Sophomore Lauren Dunn took 25th, junior Elizabeth Hughes 29th and sophomore Olivia Covey 39th off the one-meter board, scoring 231.80, 223.20 and 207.65 points respectively.
 
Hughes, who won the platform event at this year’s SEC Championships, will have a chance to advance to her first NCAA Championships on Sunday with a top-3 finish off the platform.
 
Auburn: Dan Mazzaferro Qualifies For Auburn NCAA Squad With Sixth-Place Finish On 3-Meter Springboard
Auburn junior Dan Mazzaferro earned his spot on the 2009 Auburn NCAA roster in day two of Zone B Diving competition Saturday afternoon, placing sixth off the 3-meter springboard.  Junior Kelly Marx led the men in 3-meter diving, finishing third, while freshman Anna Aguero led the women with a ninth-place finish in the 1-meter.

“It really was a stressful day,” said Mazzaferro.  “I really wanted to qualify today so could enjoy platform tomorrow.  It was nice to get it done.

“Tomorrow I’m going to go after it and try to win it.  Since every zone is going on this weekend, it’s a good way to compare yourself with other divers in the nation.  I think tomorrow is going to be a big day for all of us.”

Hosted by the University of Tennessee, the NCAA Zone B Diving Championships is a three-day meet, bringing together the top divers from 25 colleges and universities from the southeastern United States competing for bids to the 2009 NCAA Championships.

“We were successful in securing a spot for Dan to the NCAA's,” said Auburn head diving coach Jeff Shaffer.  “His sixth-place finish on 3-meter ranks him as the tenth diver with platform still to go.

“Kelly and Dan both were consistent in their two lists of dives, although both could have been a little sharper on finishing some of their dives. “

Marx finished the day with a two-round total of 755.45 to place third in Saturday’s 3-meter diving, posting round scores of 360.75 and 394.70.  The 2008 SEC 1-meter champion earned an average round score of 65.78 to record his second top-5 finish of the event.

The Overland Park, Kan., native earned a place on Auburn’s 2009 NCAA Championship squad Friday with a fourth-place finish in 1-meter diving.

Junior Dan Mazzaferro placed sixth in finals with a two-round total of 790.95 and an average round score of 60.90.  The 2009 SEC Diver of the Year scored first and second round scores of 355.55 and 365.40, respectively.

Senior Scott Morgan placed 25th with 276.95 while freshman Adam Godzinski finished 28th with a 271.85.

“The main objective at the zones is to advance to the NCAA's or improve upon personal goals,” said Shaffer. “I felt we met those objectives today. Dan joins Kelly as they both have secured spots to the NCAAs and Anna and Vennie both showed improvements in their 1 meter performance.

On the women’s side, freshman Anna Aguero led the way in women’s 1-meter competition, placing ninth after posting a total of 528.90 and a 43.18 average round score.   The Moultrie, Ga., native recorded first and second round scores of 269.80 and 259.10.

“Anna put together two good lists today to advance to the top 18,” said Shaffer. “Both she and Vennie were able to do that today. Really, both the girls have a chance to qualify based on their performance tomorrow.  It will take a top-three or four finish, depending on who finishes ahead of them.  Their destiny is in their hands.”

Fellow freshman Vennie Dantin placed 18th after the afternoon finals with a 474.40 total following opening rounds of 248.15 and 226.25.  The Conroe, Texas native averaged 37.71 per dive.

Alabama’s Aaron Fleshner won the men’s 3-meter competition, scoring 799.10, followed by Miami’s Reuben Ross (773.25) and Marx.

Miami’s Jenna Dreyer topped the field for the women’s 1-meter, recording a 599.15, and was followed by South Carolina’s Taryn Zack (569.85) and Miami’s Brittany Viola (568.75).

Duke: Three Duke Divers Reach Finals On Day Two
Duke freshman Abby Johnston took fourth place on the one-meter board, followed by fellow freshman Jessica Lyden in 10th and junior Julie Brummond in 14th on day two of the 2009 NCAA Zone B Championships Saturday afternoon at the University of Tennessee's Alex Jones Aquatic Center.

Johnston's combined score of 565.20 today was good for fourth place, after she was in third place after prelims with 283.15. That came after she won the three-meter competition yesterday to earn an automatic place in next week's NCAA Championships in College Station, Texas.

Lyden took 10th with her score of 522.70, having been in ninth place with a prelim score of 256.55. Brummond followed in 14th with a total of 504.50.

On the men's side, Duke freshmen Cody Kolodziejzyk and Shawn Hoffman took to the three-meter board today. Kolodziejzyk was 27th in the prelims with his morning score of 274.30, while Hoffman was 32nd with a 269.40.

"We had another good day today, and everyone is getting great experience," said diving coach Drew Johansen. "We're hopeful that we'll have one more NCAA qualifier after this weekend is over."

Tomorrow will be the last day of competition, with both the men and women headed for the platform event. Since the top-three finishers in each event advance to nationals and are invited to participate in all three events once they get there, if any of the top-three on the platform have already qualified, Lyden will be the next athlete to earn one of the remaining places at the NCAA Championships.

Georgia Tech: WOMEN’S DIVING COMPLETES DAY 2 OF NCAA ZONE B DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Junior Hannah Krimm finished 11th, while Michele Bertolino was 30th in the one-meter diving event Saturday during the second day of the NCAA Zone B Diving Championships at the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center on the campus of the University of Tennessee.
 
11 male and 10 female divers will advance from this zone to the national meet, which will be held over the next two weeks in College Station, Texas.
 
The top four placers on the three-meter and one-meter boards, as well as the top two finishers on the platform all automatically qualify to the national meet.
 
Krimm will have to wait and see if her 11th place finish is good enough to qualify for the NCAA meet next weekend. She also placed eighth yesterday on the one-meter board.
 
Krimm recorded a combined score of 521.60 en route to her 11th-place finish. Bertolino had 223.15 points in prelims.
 
Miami: All UM divers participate on Saturday at Zone ‘B’ Finals
University of Miami senior diver Jenna Dreyer took the top spot Saturday in the finals of the women’s 1-meter springboard event at the NCAA Zone ‘B’ Diving Championships in Knoxville, Tenn.  The three-day event is being hosted by the University of Tennessee at the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatics Center.
 
Dreyer, a two-time All-American for the Hurricanes, finished her final round with a score of 599.15 to claim first place on the day.  She entered the championship round leading after the preliminary round of diving with a total score of 309.60.
 
UM junior Brittany Viola, the ACC Most Valuable Diver at the 2009 Swimming & Diving Championships, participated in the 1-meter event today after sitting out yesterday’s 3-meter springboard finals with an injury.
 
Viola stood in second place following the preliminaries with a score of 291.55 trailing only teammate Dreyer.  Viola, still bothered by a nagging injury, finished the event in third place with a score of 568.75.
 
Taryn Zack of USC finished second on the day, scoring a 569.85 in her final round.
 
Meanwhile, over on the men’s 3-meter springboard, Miami’s Reuben Ross took second place on the day with a final round of 773.25—topped by Alabama’s Aaron Fleshner (799.10).  Ross came back from his third place position in the preliminaries after scoring a 363.00, only to overtake Tennessee’s Ryan Helms in the finals.
 
Ross and Viola, both defending NCAA National Champions from a year ago, will now participate in the 10-meter platform on Sunday morning back at the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatics Center.
 
NC State: Action Continues at NCAA Diving Zones
All three of the NC State men’s divers were back in action at the NCAA Diving Zones on Saturday, March 14 at the Allen Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center on the University of Tennessee Campus. Austin Hampton, Alex Dambly and Scott Blackwelder all took part in the 3-meter dive.

Hampton posted a combined 637.50, good for 15th overall in the finals. He was in 15th place after the prelim round with a 310.40 score. As with his 1-meter dive yesterday, Hampton has a good shot at making it to the NCAA Championships.

Dambly finished 37th in the prelims on a 265.70, while Blackwelder’s 240.70 put him in 40th.

Hampton and Kristin Davies will wrap up the Pack’s stay at the NCAA Diving Zones tomorrow, Sunday, March 15. Both will participate in the platform dive.

South Carolina: Taryn Zack Qualifies for NCAA Championships
South Carolina sophomore diver Taryn Zack earned her second straight berth in the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships next week with her second-place finish in the one-meter event at the NCAA Zone B Diving Regional. The SEC Champion in the one-meter event, Zack struggled in the three-meter competition Friday but came on strong in the latter stages of the one-meter event today.

"Taryn didn't really have a great meet," head diving coach Todd Sherritt said, "but she showed a ton of heart on the one-meter after what happened yesterday. And she came back from two missed dives in the prelims - she was 11th or 12th at one point - but fought her way back to second. I'm really proud of the way she fought."

Zack finished with a 12-dive score of 569.85, 30 points behind event winner Jenna Dreyer of Miami and one point ahead of the Hurricanes' Brittany Viola. Duke's Abby Johnston was fourth at 565.20, and Florida's Kara Salamone was fifth at 558.30.

She will look to add to her All-America certificate collection next week in College Station, Texas, as South Carolina's lone entrant in the national meet. The sophomore from Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada, earned All-America honors last season with her eighth-place finish in the three-meter event and her 11th-place showing in the one-meter competition at last year's NCAA Championships.

Also with a strong showing was Helen Alvey, a freshman from Marietta, Ga., who turned in an eighth place effort in her first NCAA Zone competition with a score of 531.15.

"Helen did an amazing job," Sherritt said. "The judges liked her diving a lot, and she made a statement that she's going to be around for a while for us."

Sophomore Allison Barr finished just out of the finals with a preliminary score of 236.25, good enough for 24th place. Barr will be the lone competitor for South Carolina on Sunday in the platform diving competition. Junior Morgan Ricke was 44th with a 186.90.

Ryan Kuser equaled his finish from Friday's one-meter event, turning in a 31st-place effort (269.70) on the three-meter board.

The women's NCAA Championships get underway Thursday, March 19, at the Student Rec Center Natatorium of Texas A&M University.

Tennessee: Trudeau 12th On 1-Meter At Zone B Championships
Freshman diver Gabrielle Trudeau finished 12th on the 1-meter board during the second day of competition at the NCAA Zone B Diving Championships on Saturday at the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center.
 
Trudeau qualified to the finals of the event after placing eighth in the prelims with a score of 262.10. Her final score was 517.00.
 
Senior Staley McCartney finished 43rd with a score of 187.15 in the prelims.
 
“Gabbi was in the mix to make the top-four during the prelims and was solid all day,” UT diving coach Dave Parrington said. “She’ll have good chance tomorrow on the platform which is probably her best event. Staley struggled a little bit today, but I’m still proud of the way she has competed this meet.”
 
Miami’s Jenna Dryer won the women’s 1-meter with a score of 599.15 to automatically qualify to next week’s NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships in College Station, Texas.
 
Also earning a trip to Texas A&M was South Carolina’s Taryn Zack as she was second with a score of 569.85. Placing third was Brittany Viola of Miami (568.75), while Duke’s Abby Johnston was fourth (565.20).
 
Ten divers will earn bids to the national meet. The full list of qualifiers will be determined after the completion of Sunday’s platform event.
 
Trudeau and McCartney will be joined by sophomore Jill Pierce on the tower on Sunday from 10:15 a.m. to 12 p.m. The men’s platform competition will follow from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.