Subscribe to RSSNAU concludes swim & dive season at Zone E Meet
Senior diver Holly Frost performs during the NCAA Zone E Diving Regionals at the Air Force Academy in Colorado. (Photo courtesy of Jeff Huehn via NAU Media Relations)
The NAU divers traveled to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. for the NCAA Zone E Diving Regional on March 8. The meet was the last leg in qualifying for the NCAA diving championships.
NAU sent four participants in this meet, seniors Cassie Anderson and Holly Frost, junior Kristy Ardvanis and freshman Kali Lents. 19 schools from across the West Coast came to the meet in an attempt to qualify with 8 spots left for the NCAA Championships.
“Making NCAA’s is very difficult,” said diving coach Nikki Huffman. “But, I think if they put one of their best performances together, I am expecting very good things from all of them.”
On the 1-meter dive, all four divers qualified. Anderson was the lone Lumberjack to not qualify for the 3-meter. Ardavanis was the only Jack to not place on the platform.
“It really is a mental game, and you have to be thinking about what you can do and what you can control when competing against so many other divers,” Holly Frost said.
In the 3-meter, Ardavanis posted a preliminary score of 278.25 and in the final posted a score of 566.60 placing her 12th overall.
“Kristy just dove really well today,” Nikki Huffman said.
Anderson posted a preliminary score of 243.70 and landed in 31st place in the 3-meter, preventing a dive in the finals. Lents and Frost placed 40th and 41st respectively, with preliminary scores of 219.80 and 212.70.
On the platform, Lents placed highest for the Lumberjacks. She posted a 204.45 to finish in 18th place. She ended 10.2 points away from qualifying for the final. Holly Frost finished 25th with a score of 179.10 and Anderson followed up in 27th place with 169.15. The meet was the final performance for both Frost and Anderson.
Ardavanis also lead NAU in the 1-meter. She finished in 24th with a score of 245.05. Anderson posted a 231.10 and Lents posted a 230.90 landing them in 31st and 32nd place respectively. Frost finished two spots behind the pair in 34th place with a score of 227.60.
“All four of our divers here had at least one good day this weekend and everyone fought really hard,” Huffman said. “It’s tough to compete against the best divers in the west, and I’m proud of the effort this weekend and all season.”
