UCLA
NCAA Zone E Diving Championships
Belanger, Lenz Advance to NCAAs in Platform
March 08, 2017 | Swimming & Diving
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- For the third consecutive day, multiple UCLA divers posted NCAA-qualifying scores at the NCAA Zone E Championships. Eloise Belanger and Annika Lenz, who qualified for other events earlier in the week, added the platform to their schedule for the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Belanger posted a total score of 547.40 to check in at third, while Lenz posted a 543.20 finish to notch a fifth-place finish.
Three Bruins advanced through the event's preliminary round, as Lenz trailed just Pac-12 Champion Mara Aiacoboae of Arizona State and USC's Madison Witt with a third-place score of 277.60. Belanger, meanwhile, posted a sixth-place score of 263.55 to plant the sophomore firmly in the event's final round, while Kat Friese also advanced with a 14th-place score of 213.85.
Belanger went on to post a 283.85 in the finals, which skyrocketed her into third place with a score of 547.40. Her fourth dive earned the sophomore a score of 66.00, her highest of the competition. Lenz recorded a 62.40 on her second dive of the finals en route to a 265.60 for the final round and a fifth-place finish. Friese added a final-round score 206.45, including a 58.05 on her final attempt.
Arizona State's Aiacoboae followed her Pac-12 Championships performance with a first-place finish in the Zones platform event, as well. Her total score of 589.40 was 23.20 points ahead of the nearest competitor.
The platform event completed three days of diving at the Zone E Championships, where four Bruins qualified for the NCAA Championships. Previously, Maria Polyakova, Lenz and Ciara Monahan posted Top 9 scores in Monday's 3-meter event, while Polyakova, Monahan, Lenz and Belanger recorded qualifying scores in the 1-meter event Tuesday.
The NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships will be held Wednesday, March 15 through Saturday, March 18 in Indianapolis.
Players Mentioned
