Two Top 10 Scores and Two Silvers for Utah Dive
12/20/2024 3:25 PM | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving
Utes finish day three of Auburn Diving Invite
AUBURN, Ala. –  The University of Utah's dive team dominated day three of the Auburn Diving Invite, the women took three of the top six spots in three-meter prelims and two men in the top 10 on platform on Friday afternoon in the James E. Martin Aquatics Center.
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In Friday's session, the women competed on the 3m springboards, while the men took on platform. The top 12 student-athletes on each event continued on to finals, with graduate Jesco Helling, freshman Attila Bernatsky, senior Holly Waxman, junior Kathryn Grant and freshman Callie Eaglestone representing the Utes.
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"We had another really strong showing today," said head diving coach Richard Marschner. "The women were on fire again with a lights-out preliminary. I can't overstate how important it is to be able to perform in prelims because that is what will determine if you're an All-American or not."
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On the 3m
"Holly has the best twelve-dive score on both 1m and 3m, which really shows how consistent she's been," said Marschner. "Kathryn and Callie had really good showings today— anytime you can break 300 in a meet of this caliber, it says something."
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On Platform
"I was really happy to see Attila string together some nice dives and earn a top ten finish," said Marschner. "Jesco is starting to look a lot more comfortable with all his dives and I'm excited for what he has in store next semester."
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Looking Ahead
Competition for the divers will wrap on Saturday after the women take on the platform event, beginning at 10:30 a.m. CT.
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Follow the Utes!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @UTAHswimdive | Instagram: @utahswimdive | Facebook: Facebook.com/UtahUtesSwimDive), and the official mobile app of Utah Athletics, Utah360 -- download here.
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In Friday's session, the women competed on the 3m springboards, while the men took on platform. The top 12 student-athletes on each event continued on to finals, with graduate Jesco Helling, freshman Attila Bernatsky, senior Holly Waxman, junior Kathryn Grant and freshman Callie Eaglestone representing the Utes.
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"We had another really strong showing today," said head diving coach Richard Marschner. "The women were on fire again with a lights-out preliminary. I can't overstate how important it is to be able to perform in prelims because that is what will determine if you're an All-American or not."
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On the 3m
- In prelims, Waxman finished in the top spot, scoring 327.05 after her six dives. In finals, her performance earned her a second silver medal, finishing with a 314.65. Her show-stopper came in the fourth round, a back 2 ½ tuck that scored 57.40 points.
- Grant's preliminary list put her in sixth, finishing with a 291.80. In finals, Grant's six dives collected a score of 301.50, bumping her into fourth-place. Grant's best showing was her gainer 2 ½ pike in the second round, adding 60.00 to her overall total.
- Eaglestone finished prelims with a flourish, coming in third with 300.15. Finals proved to be more difficult, but she stood up to the challenge, earning 57 points on her full out—a front 2 ½ pike with a full twist. The freshman finished with a score of 256.80 and a 12th-place standing.
- Freshman Sarah Kauffman and junior Sydney Kowalski finished back-to-back for the second time this meet, coming in at 19th and 20th scoring 189.35 and 178.80, respectively.
"Holly has the best twelve-dive score on both 1m and 3m, which really shows how consistent she's been," said Marschner. "Kathryn and Callie had really good showings today— anytime you can break 300 in a meet of this caliber, it says something."
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On Platform
- Helling earned a sixth-place finish in the preliminary competition with total score of 314.20, breaking into the tenth spot in the All-Time Top Ten records. In finals, his efforts bumped him into the seventh spot in the record book with a final score of 343.80. Helling's finals performance was good enough for the silver medal. The turning point came in the final round, his inward 3 ½ tuck collected 67.20 points, bumping him from sixth into second.
- Bernatsky earned his first career finals appearance after finishing tenth in prelims with a score off 285.00. Staying consistent, his six dives in finals earned 281.10, keeping him in that tenth-place slot. His highest score came after his sixth dive, a back 2 ½ with a ½ twist pike off the 10-meter platform—adding 52 points to his total.
"I was really happy to see Attila string together some nice dives and earn a top ten finish," said Marschner. "Jesco is starting to look a lot more comfortable with all his dives and I'm excited for what he has in store next semester."
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Looking Ahead
Competition for the divers will wrap on Saturday after the women take on the platform event, beginning at 10:30 a.m. CT.
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Follow the Utes!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @UTAHswimdive | Instagram: @utahswimdive | Facebook: Facebook.com/UtahUtesSwimDive), and the official mobile app of Utah Athletics, Utah360 -- download here.
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