March 6, 2012
Thursday-Saturday, March 8-10
All Day
Cadet Natatorium - U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.
Coverage: Live Video Stream, Live Results
BERKELEY -
Four California divers seeking to reach the NCAA Championships will compete in the NCAA Zone E Diving Qualifying Meet at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado this week. Seniors Molly Hayes and Alissa Barker, junior Kelsey Heiken and sophomore Kahley Rowell will represent Cal at the zonal meet that runs from Thursday, March 8, through Saturday, March 10, at the USAFA campus, located just north of Colorado Springs.
Out of all the divers participating, eight women will qualify for the NCAA Championships based on their combined scores on the three events - one-meter springboard, three-meter springboard and platform - at the NCAA Zone E meet. The NCAA will announce the national qualifiers on Saturday.
Cal is competing in a field of 19 women's teams at Cadet Natatorium at the NCAA Zone E meet, which includes divers from 10 men's teams vying for seven spots in their NCAA Championships. The other women's teams are Arizona, Arizona State, Boise State, BYU, Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado, San Diego State, Stanford, UCLA, UNLV, USC and Utah.
Admission is free.
NCAA Zone E Diving Qualifying Meet Schedule
(all times MT)
Event Order
Thursday, March 8
Men's Three-Meter Prelims: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Men's Three-Meter Finals: 12:45-1:45 p.m.
Women's One-Meter Prelims: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Women's One-Meter Finals: 1:45-2:45 p.m.
Friday, March 9
Men's One-Meter Prelims: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Men's Three-Meter Finals: 12:45-1:45 p.m.
Women's Three-Meter Prelims: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Women's Three-Meter Finals: 1:45-2:45 p.m.
Saturday, March 10
Women's Platform Prelims: 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Women's Platform Finals: 12:30-1 p.m.
Men's Platform Prelims: 3:30-4:45 p.m.
Men's Platform Finals: 5-5:35 p.m.
Scouting the Golden Bears
• At the Feb. 22-25 Pac-12 Championships, senior Molly Hayes posted Cal's top finishes in the one- (6th, 276.25) and three-meter (9th, 271.70) springboards
• Sophomore Kahley Rowell recorded Cal's second-best finishes at Pac-12s at one meter (tied for 13th, 242.25) and three meters (10th, 270.30)
• On the platform at the conference meet, senior Alissa Barker notched Cal's best result, taking sixth place (221.55); Hayes was next for Cal in ninth (208.15)
• This is Hayes' fourth straight appearance and Rowell's second straight in the NCAA zonal championships
• This is the second NCAA zonal meet for Barker, who also competed in 2009, and Heiken, who dove in Zone Es in 2010
• Todd Mulzet is in his second season as the diving coach for the Cal men and women
Scouting the Field
The meet includes the best talent in the west, including the following:
• USC's Tori Ishimatsu, who won the one- and three-meter springboard titles at the Pac-12 Championships
• Pac-12 platform champ Elina Eggers from Arizona State
• BYU's Dayna Christensen, who won both springboard crowns at the MPSF Championships
• BYU's Raleigh Williams, the platform champ and third-place finisher on the one- and three-meter boards at MPSFs
• New Mexico's Ashlee Erickson, the Mountain West Conference Diver of the Year who captured both springboard finals at the MWC meet
• San Diego State's Kristen Meier, the MWC platform winner
• Fresno State's Hannah Prigge, the WAC platform champ and three-meter springboard third-place diver
• Nevada's Grace Huang, who won the one-meter title, took second at three meters and placed third on the platform in the WAC Championships
• Hawaii senior Daniella Nebro, the WAC champ at three meters and fourth-place finisher at one meter
Next Time
The divers who qualify will compete at the NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships, which are slated for March 15-17 in Auburn, Ala.
Blogging Bears
Find out more about the Bears through "Falling Gracefully," the diving blog on CalBears.com that chronicles what it's like to attend the No. 1 public university in the nation and compete for the defending NCAA champion. Senior divers Molly Hayes and Alissa Barker write "Falling Gracefully."
Like Cal Women's Swimming & Diving on Facebook!
Looking for even more Cal women's swimming & diving news? Join the Bears in their new social media territory - on Facebook. By liking Cal Women's Swimming & Diving on Facebook, you can view photos, discuss the latest happenings with fellow fans and much more on the social networking site.
The Paparazzi
Like any of the pictures on CalBears.com? They are available for purchase at GoldenBearSports.com, Cal Athletics' official photographer. This season GoldenBearSports.com took photos of three dual meets at Spieker Aquatics Complex: the Oct. 21 Utah meet, Jan. 20 Arizona meet and Jan. 21 Arizona State meet. GBS also provided the head shots and team photos for this year's team. You can follow GoldenBearSports.com, on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/gbsports and like GBS on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/GoldenBearSports.
