The University of Arizona diving team took their talents to Federal Way, Wash., to qualify for the NCAA National Swimming Championship from Monday, March 10 to Wednesday, March 12. Among them were a few standouts who will be returning to Federal Way as contenders for championship status.
Day 1 – March 10
The first day of competition saw men’s diver, Gage DuBois, and women’s diver, Brooke Earley, secure their first events in the first day of competition.
DuBois received his bid as the third-place finisher in the men’s 1-meter dive, after initially placing fifth in the preliminary round.
Earley finished fourth in the women’s 3-meter dive, falling just slightly from her third-place finish in the preliminary round.
Both finishes landed them with automatic bids into the NCAA National Championships
Colin Agor, a freshman diver, also qualified for his first event, as he placed tenth in the preliminary round. Agor would be the twelfth-place finisher of the men’s 1m dive.
Day 2 – March 11
The next day of competition was a highlight for women’s diver Zara Ayazi. The only diver to qualify for nationals on Day 2, Ayazi took her bid in the women’s platform as the fourth-place finisher. Her final combined score was a solid 520.45, after an initial fifth-place preliminary finish.
This will be Ayazi’s first time visiting the NCAA National Championships. There were no automatic qualifications in the men’s 3-meter dive, with DuBois and Agor finishing ninth and sixteenth, respectively. DuBois had a close outing after an initial fourth-place finish in the preliminary round, sadly falling short in the finals.
Day 3 – March 12
On the final day of competition, the Wildcats did not hold back as all competing divers would make the finals in their respective competitions, the men’s platform and women’s 1-meter.
In the men’s platform finals, DuBois was the only diver able to secure a spot in the NCAA National Championship. He finished fifth overall with a final score of 730.95, maintaining the fifth-place finish he first scored in the preliminaries. DuBois will be competing in his second straight NCAA Championship after last year, when he would finish sixth in the Championship final in the men’s 1-meter.
Earley and Ayazi both earned a second qualification in the women’s 1m. Earley took the top spot, coming back from placing second in the preliminary rounds to winning with a 32.15 score differential. Ayazi followed with an amazing comeback. After placing thirteenth in the preliminaries, Ayazi would excel, finishing fourth in the finals. Their final scores were 586.10 and 526.30, respectively.
Up Next
The Wildcats now move on to the NCAA National Championships. The Women’s National Championship will take place next week from Wednesday, March 19 to Saturday, March 22, once again in Federal Way, Wash.
The Men’s National Championship will take place the week after, from Thursday, March 27 to Sunday, March 30, also in Federal Way, Wash.
