MANSFIELD, Texas --- Texas A&M diver Grant Nel posted a dominating victory on the three-meter to highlight the Aggies' second day of the season-opening Southwest Collegiate Plunge on Saturday at the Mansfield ISD Natatorium.
The Aggies took second in the four-team meet with 750 points. Texas took first with 796, while Missouri was third with 624 and SMU was fourth with 621 points.
"It was a good way for us to open the season," Aggie head coach Jay Holmes said. "We had some good races and I was pleased with the way we stepped up on the blocks and competed. It's early in the season and we know we have a long way to go to get to where we want to be."
Nel, from Melbourne, Australia, grabbed the gold medal with a 450.25 point total on the three-meter springboard, outdistancing the field by nearly 50 points. Nel is coming off a junior season that saw him break all three diving school records and medal in all three dives at the NCAA Championships. Teammate Hayden Jones, a transfer from Navy, took third with a score of 354.40.
"You always know what you're going to get from Grant Nel," Holmes said. "He's very talented and very competitive, and he's always going to give his team a great effort. He's really fun to watch. I was very impressed with Hayden Jones and I think he's going to surprise a lot of folks as the season progresses."
The Aggies also received a strong performance from their 200-yard medley relay, which finished second behind Texas by just .01. The A&M foursome of junior Nick Han, senior Amini Fonua, senior Boris Loncaric and sophomore Kyle Troskot touched the wall in 1:31.03.
Junior John Dalton took runner-up honors in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:40.96, and then placed fourth in the 50 free in 20.80. Dalton was just behind Troskot, who took third in 20.74.
The Aggies' 400 free relay of Fonua, junior Austin Wilson, Dalton and Troskot closed out the meet with a third-place finish in a time of 3:01.75.
Fonua also contributed a consolation win in the 100 back with a time of 51.30.
The Aggies took second in the four-team meet with 750 points. Texas took first with 796, while Missouri was third with 624 and SMU was fourth with 621 points.
"It was a good way for us to open the season," Aggie head coach Jay Holmes said. "We had some good races and I was pleased with the way we stepped up on the blocks and competed. It's early in the season and we know we have a long way to go to get to where we want to be."
Nel, from Melbourne, Australia, grabbed the gold medal with a 450.25 point total on the three-meter springboard, outdistancing the field by nearly 50 points. Nel is coming off a junior season that saw him break all three diving school records and medal in all three dives at the NCAA Championships. Teammate Hayden Jones, a transfer from Navy, took third with a score of 354.40.
"You always know what you're going to get from Grant Nel," Holmes said. "He's very talented and very competitive, and he's always going to give his team a great effort. He's really fun to watch. I was very impressed with Hayden Jones and I think he's going to surprise a lot of folks as the season progresses."
The Aggies also received a strong performance from their 200-yard medley relay, which finished second behind Texas by just .01. The A&M foursome of junior Nick Han, senior Amini Fonua, senior Boris Loncaric and sophomore Kyle Troskot touched the wall in 1:31.03.
Junior John Dalton took runner-up honors in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:40.96, and then placed fourth in the 50 free in 20.80. Dalton was just behind Troskot, who took third in 20.74.
The Aggies' 400 free relay of Fonua, junior Austin Wilson, Dalton and Troskot closed out the meet with a third-place finish in a time of 3:01.75.
Fonua also contributed a consolation win in the 100 back with a time of 51.30.