Jackson Stanley
The swimmers dive in to the pool during Texas A&M’s swim meet against Louisiana State University at the Rec Center Natatorium on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Jackson Stanley/The Battalion)
Texas A&M dive traveled to Iowa City, Iowa to compete in the NCAA Zone D Diving Championships and finished third overall with a final score of 120. The men’s team finished in second place, trailing only the rival Texas Longhorns, with a score of 84, while the women’s finished fifth with a team score of 36.
A Solid Day 1 Start
Senior Allen Bottego kicked off the day in the men’s 1-meter dive, securing a fourth-place result, scoring 704.05. Freshman Jaxon Bowshire and senior Rhett Hensley finished back-to-back in 11th and 12th place, with scores of 639.15 and 632.40, respectively In the women’s 3-meter dive, graduate Else Praasterink secured a sixth-place finish with a score of 635.60.
The men’s team wrapped up Day 1 in third place with 26 points, and the women’s team finished in seventh with 13 points. As a result, A&M ended Day 1 in third place overall with 39 total points.
Bottego strikes again on Day 2
Bottego continued his dominance in the men’s 3-meter dive, with a second-place finish and a score of 764.45. Hensley also added an 18th-place finish in the same event, scoring a 597.55. Meanwhile, in the women’s 1-meter dive, fifth-year Mayson Richards and Praasterink both had top-15 results. Richards finished in 11th with a score of 577.30, while Praasterink trailed by a few spots, finishing in 14th with a score of 569.40.
By the end of Day 2, the men’s team racked up 43 points and maintained its third-place status, trailing to Minnesota and Texas. The women’s side finished in sixth with 22 points. A&M’s team overall stood at 65 total points, keeping it in third place.
Big Day 3, but not enough to clinch first
Praasterink bounced back with a fifth-place finish in the women’s platform on Day 3, with a score of 613.60. Sophomore Chloe McKnight finished 18th in the bottom of the women’s platform with a score of 461.25.
On the men’s platform, Bowshire clinched the top spot with 875.20. Hensley wasn’t too far behind, finishing in third with 788.80. Lastly, junior Matthew Aigner scored a 677.15 on his way to a 12th-place finish.
The Aggies secured a third-place finish overall with a team score of 120. Despite the men’s team moving up the rankings to second with a score of 84, the women couldn’t climb higher than fifth in the standings, ending the meet with a score of 36.
A&M will send their women’s squad to the NCAA Women’s Swim & Dive Championship in Federal Way, Washington beginning on March 19.