Monday, March 11
Flagstaff, AZ
All Day
UCLA
at
NCAA Zone E Diving Championships
Photo by: Jamie Mitchell
Bruins Wrap Up Competition at NCAA Zones
March 11, 2024 | Swimming & Diving
Flagstaff, Ariz. โ Eden Cheng finished second in the platform competition and qualified for NCAAs on Wednesday, as a trio of Bruins took part in the final day of competition at the NCAA Zone E Diving Championships.
Cheng, who finished runner-up at the Pac-12 Championships on platform, followed that performance with another second play showing at Zones. The London, England, started the day by finishing first in the preliminary round of competition with a score of 292.50 across five dives. The sophomore followed that with a strong showing in the final's session, taking second place in the competition with a total score of 579.30.
Cheng becomes the third Bruin to earn a spot on the podium this week at NCAA Zones, as the Bruins had at least one student-athlete finish on the podium in all three events over the course of the week. Lauren Hallaselka and Zoe Jespersgaard finished first and third, respectively, in the 3-meter competition, and Hallaselka also won the 1-meter championship back on Monday. ย ย
Savana Trueb also had a standout performance for UCLA on Wednesday. The graduate transfer student, took sixth overall in the competition, posting a score of 481.40, and punched her ticket to NCAAs for the fourth time in her career.
With Cheng and Trueb qualifying for NCAAs on Wednesday, the Bruins qualified a total of four divers for the NCAA National Championships which will be held March 20-23 in Athens, Georgia.
The final Bruin in action on Wednesday was freshman Laura Fisher, who earned a spot in the finals session with a preliminary round score of 231.10 to place 10th. She followed that with a final score of 455.00 to take 13th place.
Day Two Recap
Freshman Lauren Hallaselka won the 3-meter dive competition and qualified for the NCAAs on Tuesday, highlighting UCLA's second day of action at the 2024 Zone E Diving Championships.
Hallaselka, a native of Helsinki, Finland, qualified first with a total score of 322.90 in the preliminary round in a field of 50 divers. After placing first in the preliminary round, Hallaselka carried her momentum into finals, where she claimed first place with a total score of 685.05 and her finals score totaled a personal best of 362.15. ย
Hallaselka becomes the first Bruin to win multiple events at NCAA Zones since Maria Polyakova did so back in 2019. Polyakova won both the 1-meter and 3-meter zone championships that year before winning the 3-meter championship at the NCAA Championships.
Zoe Jespersgaard also qualified for finals in the 3-meter dive, finishing prelims with a score of 291.65, good enough for sixth place. The junior moved up three spots to finish third overall in finals with a score of 627.25, and clinched a spot at the NCAA Championships for the first time in her career. Her finals score of 335.60 is a new personal for Jespersgaard. ย
Savana Trueb was the third Bruin to take part in the 3-meter competition on Tuesday. The graduate transfer student placed 14th in the preliminary round with a score of 268.85 to qualify for finals. She then finished ninth, just outside the top-eight qualification spot, with a total score of 563.55. ย
Each of the top eight finishers in Tuesday's championship received an automatic bid into NCAAs. Divers nine through 12 โ Trueb included โ will receive a bid into NCAAs in 3M should they secure an auto-bid in another event this week.
UCLA concludes competition at the Zone E Championships on Wednesday with the platform championship. The Bruins will have three athletes entered in the event with Eden Cheng, Laura Fisher, and Trueb all set to compete.
Day One Recap
Freshman Lauren Hallaselka won the 1-meter dive competition and qualified for the NCAAs on Monday, highlighting UCLA's first day of action at the 2024 Zone E Diving Championships.
Hallaselka, a native of Helsinki, Finland, posted eight dives of at least 50 points on the day between the preliminary round and the finals. Hallaselka qualified second with a total score of 307.75, including a day-high score of 55.00 with her final dive of the preliminary round, in a field of 48 divers. After placing second in the preliminary round Hallaselka continued her momentum into finals where she finished on the top step with a score of 609.60.
Hallaselka becomes the first Bruin to win an event at NCAA Zones since Maria Polyakova did so back in 2019. Polyakova won both the 1-meter and 3-meter zone championships that year before winning the 3-meter championship at the NCAA Championships.
Zoe Jespersgaard also qualified for finals in the 1-meter dive, finishing prelims with a score of 267.65, good enough for 12th place. The junior moved up three spots to finish ninth in finals with a score of 542.30.
Each of the top eight finishers in Monday's championship received an automatic bid into NCAAs. Divers nine through 12 โ Jespersgaard included โ will receive a bid into NCAAs in 1M should they secure an auto-bid in another event this week.
Savana Trueb was the third Bruin to take part in the 1-meter competition on Monday. The graduate transfer student placed 26th in the preliminary round with a score of 241.70.
UCLA resumes action at the Zone Championships on Tuesday with the 3-meter championship. The Bruins will have four athletes entered in the event with Hallaselka, Jespersgaard, Trueb and Eden Cheng all set to compete.
ย
Cheng, who finished runner-up at the Pac-12 Championships on platform, followed that performance with another second play showing at Zones. The London, England, started the day by finishing first in the preliminary round of competition with a score of 292.50 across five dives. The sophomore followed that with a strong showing in the final's session, taking second place in the competition with a total score of 579.30.
Cheng becomes the third Bruin to earn a spot on the podium this week at NCAA Zones, as the Bruins had at least one student-athlete finish on the podium in all three events over the course of the week. Lauren Hallaselka and Zoe Jespersgaard finished first and third, respectively, in the 3-meter competition, and Hallaselka also won the 1-meter championship back on Monday. ย ย
Savana Trueb also had a standout performance for UCLA on Wednesday. The graduate transfer student, took sixth overall in the competition, posting a score of 481.40, and punched her ticket to NCAAs for the fourth time in her career.
With Cheng and Trueb qualifying for NCAAs on Wednesday, the Bruins qualified a total of four divers for the NCAA National Championships which will be held March 20-23 in Athens, Georgia.
The final Bruin in action on Wednesday was freshman Laura Fisher, who earned a spot in the finals session with a preliminary round score of 231.10 to place 10th. She followed that with a final score of 455.00 to take 13th place.
Day Two Recap
Freshman Lauren Hallaselka won the 3-meter dive competition and qualified for the NCAAs on Tuesday, highlighting UCLA's second day of action at the 2024 Zone E Diving Championships.
Hallaselka, a native of Helsinki, Finland, qualified first with a total score of 322.90 in the preliminary round in a field of 50 divers. After placing first in the preliminary round, Hallaselka carried her momentum into finals, where she claimed first place with a total score of 685.05 and her finals score totaled a personal best of 362.15. ย
Hallaselka becomes the first Bruin to win multiple events at NCAA Zones since Maria Polyakova did so back in 2019. Polyakova won both the 1-meter and 3-meter zone championships that year before winning the 3-meter championship at the NCAA Championships.
Zoe Jespersgaard also qualified for finals in the 3-meter dive, finishing prelims with a score of 291.65, good enough for sixth place. The junior moved up three spots to finish third overall in finals with a score of 627.25, and clinched a spot at the NCAA Championships for the first time in her career. Her finals score of 335.60 is a new personal for Jespersgaard. ย
Savana Trueb was the third Bruin to take part in the 3-meter competition on Tuesday. The graduate transfer student placed 14th in the preliminary round with a score of 268.85 to qualify for finals. She then finished ninth, just outside the top-eight qualification spot, with a total score of 563.55. ย
Each of the top eight finishers in Tuesday's championship received an automatic bid into NCAAs. Divers nine through 12 โ Trueb included โ will receive a bid into NCAAs in 3M should they secure an auto-bid in another event this week.
UCLA concludes competition at the Zone E Championships on Wednesday with the platform championship. The Bruins will have three athletes entered in the event with Eden Cheng, Laura Fisher, and Trueb all set to compete.
Day One Recap
Freshman Lauren Hallaselka won the 1-meter dive competition and qualified for the NCAAs on Monday, highlighting UCLA's first day of action at the 2024 Zone E Diving Championships.
Hallaselka, a native of Helsinki, Finland, posted eight dives of at least 50 points on the day between the preliminary round and the finals. Hallaselka qualified second with a total score of 307.75, including a day-high score of 55.00 with her final dive of the preliminary round, in a field of 48 divers. After placing second in the preliminary round Hallaselka continued her momentum into finals where she finished on the top step with a score of 609.60.
Hallaselka becomes the first Bruin to win an event at NCAA Zones since Maria Polyakova did so back in 2019. Polyakova won both the 1-meter and 3-meter zone championships that year before winning the 3-meter championship at the NCAA Championships.
Zoe Jespersgaard also qualified for finals in the 1-meter dive, finishing prelims with a score of 267.65, good enough for 12th place. The junior moved up three spots to finish ninth in finals with a score of 542.30.
Each of the top eight finishers in Monday's championship received an automatic bid into NCAAs. Divers nine through 12 โ Jespersgaard included โ will receive a bid into NCAAs in 1M should they secure an auto-bid in another event this week.
Savana Trueb was the third Bruin to take part in the 1-meter competition on Monday. The graduate transfer student placed 26th in the preliminary round with a score of 241.70.
UCLA resumes action at the Zone Championships on Tuesday with the 3-meter championship. The Bruins will have four athletes entered in the event with Hallaselka, Jespersgaard, Trueb and Eden Cheng all set to compete.
ย
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