The NCAA Championships will see returning Aggie divers alongside first-timers from the Texas A&M men’s swimming & diving team after competing at the Zone Championships.
Four qualifications to the NCAA Championships were well-earned by the men’s diving team over three days at the NCAA Zone D Diving Championships held at the Soderholm Family Aquatic Center in Madison, Wis.
Starting strong on Day 1, senior Kurtis Mathews placed second on the 3-meter with an overall score of 811.65, which guaranteed his spot in the NCAA Championships. Sophomore Victor Povzner finished the 3-meter in 12th place with a final score of 714.30. Freshman Allen Bottego and freshman Rhett Hensley closed out the first day placing 19th and 20th with scores of 292.05 and 290.65, respectively.
On Day 2, Povzner joined his teammate Mathews at the upcoming NCAA Championships. The two divers secured spots on the podium in the 1-meter, with Mathews scoring a first-place dive at 840.20 and Povzner making third with 749.40. Bottego finished 12th in the 1-meter final with a score of 619.70 as Hensley ended the day at 15th place with a score of 611.05.
Rounding out Day 3, Bottego and junior Tony Stewart qualified for their first NCAA Championships on the platform. Bottego finished the event with a top score of 742.10, while Stewart placed seventh with 331.80. Hensley provided a 10th place finish with a score of 288.50.
The men’s swimming & diving team will have four divers competing at the NCAA Championships at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta. The men will compete Wednesday, March 23, through Saturday, March 26. For more information and results, visit 12thMan.com.