2022 Zone D: Texas Women Qualify Sixth Diver For NCAAs On Final Day

Though we’re not DiveDove, we do dabble in diving coverage, and as diving can have a major impact on the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships, we cover NCAA Zone Diving – mainly through the lens of how national diving qualifiers could impact the team points battles later this month.

2022 NCAA ZONE DIVING

• Zone A: US Naval Academy / Annapolis, Md.
  • Monday, March 7 – Wednesday, March 9
  • Live Results
• Zone B: Georgia Tech Aquatic Center / Atlanta, Ga.
  • Sunday, March 6 – Wednesday, March 9
  • Live Results
• Zone C: Canham Natatorium / Ann Arbor, Mich.
  • Monday, March 7 – Wednesday, March 9
  • Live Results
• Zone D: Soderholm Aquatic Center / Madison, Wisc.
  • Monday, March 7 – Wednesday, March 9
  • Live Results
• Zone E: Wall Aquatic Center / Flagstaff, Ariz.
  • Monday, March 7 – Wednesday, March 9
  • Live Results

WOMEN’S PLATFORM

Texas A&M’s Alyssa Clairmont came out on top on women’s platform in an incredibly tight battle that saw the top four divers separated by less than six points.

Clairmont, runner-up Jordan Skilken and third-place finisher Montserrat Lavenant all secured a third event to their NCAA lineup, while fourth-place finisher Janie Boyle of Texas booked her ticket to Atlanta for the first time.

Boyle’s fourth-place finish gives the Longhorns six female divers who have qualified for NCAAs. Not including any potential relay-only athletes, the Texas women only qualified seven swimmers for NCAAs, so the Longhorns will be able to bring all six divers easily.

With nine spots on the line, joining Boyle in earning qualification for NCAAs was Mizzou’s Sarah Rousseau, LSU’s Anne Tuxen and Houston’s Chase Farris.

MEN’S PLATFORM

Eight qualifying spots were available in the men’s platform event, and five of the divers finishing in the top eight secured NCAA qualification for the first time in the last event of the meet.

Texas A&M freshman Allen Bottego III was victorious with a final score of 742.10, earning his ticket to nationals for the first time, while Texas’ Andrew Harness added a second event to his NCAA lineup by placing second.

Joining Bottego III in earning qualification was his TAMU teammate Thomas Stewart, Mizzou’s Carlo Lopez, SMU’s Peter Smithson and TCU’s Alec Hubbard.

Lopez had narrowly missed qualifying in the 1-meter and 3-meter events, but since he finished inside the top 12 of both, he can compete in all three at NCAAs.

QUALIFIERS LIST

Reimbursed divers are in bold and designated with a star*, with invited-but-not-reimbursed divers in non-bold. You can read more about the distinction below.

A total of 17 female and 17 male divers have earned NCAA qualification from Zone D, with 12 women and seven men earning reimbursement.

The Texas men notably have four divers qualified, but they also currently have the maximum number of participants for the entire meet (18) entered as swimmers. The Longhorns will either have to scratch another swimmer (they already had to drop Sam Artmann) and bring two divers, or scratch two swimmers in order to bring all four divers (divers count as half in the add-up).

SIMPLIFIED INVITE PROCEDURES

You can read a more in-depth look at the selection process here.

Effectively, each zone earns a specific number of qualifying spots in each event, based on how that Zone performed at NCAAs last year. Divers who place inside the qualifying places earn an NCAA invite. A diver invited in one event can compete at NCAAs in any other diving event where they were top 12 in their Zone meet.

The highest-placing divers earn NCAA reimbursement, while lower-placing qualifiers can compete at NCAAs, but their school must pay for their travel and lodging at the meet.