March 14, 2009
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Texas A&M sophomore diver Jaele Patrick (Lilydale, Victoria, Australia) earned a fourth-place finish on the one-meter springboard on day two of the Zone D Diving Championships being held at the Mizzou Aquatic Center this weekend.
Patrick, who punched her ticket to the NCAA Championships with a third-place finish on the three-meter yesterday, earned a score of 577.70, putting her behind only Anastasia Pozdniakova of Houston (676.15), Big 12 champion Kathryn Kelly of Texas (598.65), and Kendra Melynchuk of Missouri (584.10).
Sophomore Emily Watson (Frisco) earned a ninth-place finish amongst the 29-diver field after totaling a score of 524.85. Watson's score of 278.20 during the finals portion of the competition proved to be a lifetime-best.
Junior Haley Haynes (The Woodlands) and freshman Lorena Lujan (San Antonio) placed 14th and 15th with scores of 514.00 and 510.60, respectively. Lujan's finals score of 266.45 was a personal best on the one-meter.
In the race for the 10 spots to the NCAA Championships, Jaele Patrick is ranked fourth according to the qualifying formula. With her finish today, Emily Watson ranks 13th while Lorena Lujan ranks 15th.
The top three finishers on the platform on Sunday are guaranteed a spot to the NCAA Championships. The platform competition is slated to begin at 10 a.m. at the Mizzou Aquatic Center.