2024 NCAA Zone A Diving: Pitt, Princeton Men Qualify Four Divers; UVA’s Kaye Leads Women

2024 NCAA ZONE A CHAMPIONSHIPS

The final piece of the NCAA Championship qualification puzzle is the Zone Diving Championships, which are running from five sites this week across the country.

The Zone A Championships wrapped up on Wednesday from Princeton University’s DeNunzio Pool in New Jersey, finalizing the divers who have punched their ticket to the NCAA Championships later this month.

Of course, teams near or at the roster limit can scratch divers if they choose to, though that only applies to a few select teams, but in the vast majority of cases, qualifying at their respective Zone competition locks in a diver’s NCAA spot.

Note that divers only count as a half a participant in terms of the 18-participant roster cap.

Simplified Qualifying Process:

  • The top five female and top four male divers from each event at their respective zone championship automatically qualify for NCAAs.
  • Each zone then earns an additional number of qualifying spots in each event based on how it performed at last season’s NCAAs.
  • Divers who qualify in one event can also compete in other event(s) at NCAAs provided they finished in the top 12 at their respective Zone meet.

ZONE A ALLOCATIONS

1-Meter 3-Meter Platform
Women 5 5 5
Men 6 5 4

WOMEN’S ZONE A RECAP

The University of Virginia women qualified 18 swimmers to NCAAs, hitting the roster maximum prior to the performance at the Zone A Championships from junior Elizabeth Kaye.

Kaye won the 3-meter, was the runner-up on 1-meter and 3rd on took 3rd on platform, punching her NCAA ticket in all three events for NCAAs—if the Cavaliers make room. UVA will need to scratch one swimmer in order for Kaye to compete. Last season, she was 17th in both the 1-meter and 3-meter events at NCAAs, so she may be due for a breakthrough into scoring territory.

Penn State’s Daphne Wils, a Dutch native who is in her fifth season of eligibility after an earlier stint at Hawaii, won the 1-meter and finished 5th on 3-meter to lock in two NCAA events.

Buffalo junior Marialis Kwak was another top performer on the boards, placing 2nd on 3-meter and 3rd on 1-meter, while Pitt went 1-2 on platform with Maria Osorio Mendoza and Jess Vega.

Women’s Zone A Qualifiers – By Event

Women’s 1-Meter Women’s 3-Meter Platform
1 Daphne Wils, Penn State Elizabeth Kaye, Virginia Maria Osorio Mendoza, Pitt
2 Elizabeth Kaye, Virginia Marialis Kwak, Buffalo Jess Vega, Pitt
3 Marialis Kwak, Buffalo Gloria Lai, Yale Elizabeth Kaye, Virginia
4 Holly Prasanto, Rutgers Amy Wotovich, Harvard Remi Edvalson, Harvard
5 Nina Janmyr, Harvard Daphne Wils, Penn State Abigail Sullivan, WVU

Women’s Zone A Qualifiers – Full List

NCAA Qualifiers Event(s)
1 Daphne Wils, Penn State 1m, 3m
2 Elizabeth Kaye, Virginia 1m, 3m, Platform
3 Marialis Kwak, Buffalo 1m, 3m
4 Holly Prasanto, Rutgers 1m
5 Nina Janmyr, Harvard 1m
6 Gloria Lai, Yale 3m, 1m*
7 Amy Wotovich, Harvard 3m
8 Maria Osorio Mendoza, Pitt Platform
9 Jess Vega, Pitt Platform
10 Remi Edvalson, Harvard Platform, 1m*
11 Abigail Sullivan, WVU Platform

*Events in which the diver didn’t finish in a designated spot but qualified by virtue of a top-12 finish.

MEN’S ZONE A RECAP

Pitt and Princeton dominated the men’s competition, sweeping the top four spots in all three events and qualifying four divers apiece for NCAAs.

Pitt’s Dylan Reed was an NCAA scorer last season on 1-meter, and won that event going away while also placing 2nd on 3-meter to qualify for NCAAs in two events.

His teammates Cameron Cash and Daley Fraser both qualified in all three events, with Cash winning on 3-meter and taking 3rd on 1-meter, and Fraser placing 4th on 1-meter. They will be able to compete in the platform event, and 3-meter for Fraser, since they finished in the top 12.

Aidan Wang led Princeton in the springboard events, as the freshman placed 2nd on 1-meter and 3rd on 3-meter to qualify for his first NCAA Championships. Wang also earned an NCAA entry on platform with a top-12 finish.

The Tigers then saw George CallananLuca Fassi and Anastasios Callanan go 1-2-3 on platform to bring their tally to four divers, with Fassi having qualified earlier in the competition on 3-meter.

Taking 4th on platform and claiming the last NCAA spot available was Jackson Salisbury, giving Pitt four divers to match Princeton.

Men’s Zone A Qualifiers – By Event

Men’s 1-Meter Men’s 3-Meter Platform
1 Dylan Reed, Pitt Cameron Cash, Pitt George Callanan, Princeton
2 Aidan Wang, Princeton Dylan Reed, Pitt Luca Fassi, Princeton
3 Cameron Cash, Pitt Aidan Wang, Princeton Anastasios Callanan, Princeton
4 Daley Fraser, Pitt Luca Fassi, Princeton Jackson Salisbury, Pitt
5 Adam Wesson, Harvard Andrew Bell, UMass
6 Jeanpaul Ditto, Yale

Men’s Zone A Qualifiers – Full List

NCAA Qualifiers Event(s)
1 Dylan Reed, Pitt 1m, 3m
2 Aidan Wang, Princeton 1m, 3m, Platform*
3 Cameron Cash, Pitt 1m, 3m, Platform*
4 Daley Fraser, Pitt 1m, 3m*, Platform*
5 Adam Wesson, Harvard 1m, 3m*
6 Jeanpaul Ditto, Yale 1m, 3m*
7 Luca Fassi, Princeton 3m, Platform, 1m*
8 Andrew Bell, UMass 3m, 1m*
9 George Callanan, Princeton Platform
10 Anastasios Callanan, Princeton Platform
11 Jackson Salisbury, Pitt Platform

*Events in which the diver didn’t finish in a designated spot but qualified by virtue of a top-12 finish.

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Jonti
1 month ago

Great job! HAIL TO PITT!

Alex Wilson
1 month ago

Could you post a link(s) to all the different Zone diving results?

Dan
1 month ago

What will Virginia do now with their women’s team?
Leave the diver at home or leave another swimmer at home?

Vaswammer
Reply to  Dan
1 month ago

Leave a swimmer. Kaye was 17th in two events last year. The 18th swimmer is around 30th on the psych sheets.

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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