Griesemer, Suddaby Qualify for Nationals in Opening Day of NCAA Diving Regionals

2/24/2017 6:21:00 PM

ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's divers returned to competition action on Friday afternoon, as the opening day of the NCAA Division III Region Four Diving Championships got underway with the three-meter springboard event at the Athletics & Events Center Aquatics Pavilion. The Bombers once again had an excellent showing in its home arena, with all four of its qualifiers posting Top-7 finishes on the day.
 
The IC women posted two qualifiers to the NCAA Division III National Championships, to be held in Shenendoah, Texas, next month. Junior Nickie Griesemer, fresh off a sweep of both the one-meter and three-meter springboard events at last weekend's UNYSCSA Championships, continued her run of form with a first-place score of 494.85. Fellow third-year Lindsey Suddaby registered a third-place score of 459.95.
 
The Bombers look well-positioned to add to its diver total at the national event if their other two entrants replicate their strong Friday sessions. Junior Katie Helly finished just outside the qualifying range, finishing in sixth place with a score of 455.05, just 3.40 shy of fourth-place Claudia Kolakowski on SUNY Geneseo. Junior Alyssa Wishart ended right behind Helly in seventh place with a score of 452.60.
 
The Top-4 finishers from Friday's session have already secured spots to Nationals, while the final three slots will be decided tomorrow afternoon. Helly and Wishart will be looking to score Top-3 positioning among the remaining 25 divers yet to earn a trip to Texas. Another Top-7 sweep like today would ensure that all four of Ithaca's divers would be making the trip to the Lone Star State, as the region's qualifying allotment on the women's side is seven total divers.
 
The Ithaca foursome, along with Meghan Bartlett (second place; 489.40) of SUNY Fredonia, Kolakowski and Meghann Kilgallon (fifth place; 457.35) of SUNY Brockport, distanced themselves from the rest of the field during the middle rounds. The group continued to leap-frog each other through most of the afternoon.
 
Griesemer, who was the penultimate diver of the 27-entrant field on three-meter, pulled ahead for good during the seventh round. The third-year standout executed a nearly flawless Inward 2 ½ Somersault Tuck, scoring a 60-plus point dive, which was easily the highest scoring mark of the afternoon.

Nazareth sophomore Desiree Kline finished in ninth place. She posted a score of 421.20. Ithaca's Nickie Greisemer won the competition with a score of 494.85.
 
The women's divers will return to the pool at noon tomorrow when the NCAA Regionals conclude with the women's one-meter and men's three-meter springboards. Fans can catch all the action live at the following link: CLICK HERE.