2023 NCAA Zone B Diving Championships
- March 5-8, 2023
- Allan Jones Aquatic Center – Knoxville, Tennessee
- Host: University of Tennessee, Knoxville
- Qualifiers
- Preview
University of Tennessee junior Bryden Hattie kept his momentum going from Sunday’s 1-meter victory with another win Monday on the 3-meter.
Hattie finished with 849 total points, punctuating his performance with a Forward 2 1/2 Somersault 2 Twist Pike that netted 85.00 points.
Second-place finisher Anton Down-Jenkins was one of four North Carolina divers to qualify on Monday along with a trio of women on the 1-meter (Aranza Vasquez Montano, Paige Burrell, and Emily Grund). The top eight men earn NCAA invites on the 3-meter while the top 11 women receive automatic bids for the 1-meter.
The Miami men placed three in the top six between Max Flory (823), Brodie Scapens (784.60), and Mohamed Farouk (776.70).
Florida’s Leonardo Garcia will attempt to give the Gators a boost on the boards at NCAAs after his seventh-place finish guaranteed his fourth career trip to NCAAs. He will be joined by Maha Amer, who placed fifth on the women’s 1-meter (596.90).
Notably, Florida State fifth year Tazman Abramowicz snuck into the last qualifying spot, earning his fifth NCAA invite with his third different school after previously appearing with UNLV and Wisconsin. As a freshman at UNLV in 2018-19, Abramowicz became the first man in program history to compete on the national stage since the 1980s.
“He had a bad injury earlier this year and he clawed his way back to this,” FSU diving coach John Proctor said of Abramowicz. “The field in this zone is brutal. It’s so talented and after just missing qualifying yesterday, he kept his head together and made it today.”
FSU also boasted a women’s 1-meter qualifier in seventh-place finisher Samantha Vear (578.80).
Men’s 3-Meter Qualifiers
- Bryden Hattie (TENN) – 849
- Anton Down-Jenkins (UNC) – 836.90
- Maxwell Flory (MIAF) – 823
- Conner Pruitt (AUB) – 796.40
- Brodie Scrapens (MIAF) – 784.60
- Mohamed Farouk (MIAF) – 776.70
- Leonardo Garcia (FLA) – 774.10
- Tazman Abramowicz (FSU) – 763.95
Defending NCAA champion Mia Vallee (648.60) edged South Carolina’s Brooke Schultz (645.85) by less than three points for the top qualifying spot in the women’s 1-meter final. Schultz booked her fifth trip to NCAAs with the runner-up finish.
South Carolina also placed a second diver in the top 5 thanks to Sophie Verzyl, a sophomore who will be making her first appearance at NCAAs.
Women’s 1-Meter Qualifiers
- Mia Vallee (MIAF) – 648.60
- Brooke Schultz (SCAR) – 645.85
- Aranza Vazquez Montano (UNC) – 629.70
- Sophie Verzyl (SCAR) – 608.95
- Maha Amer (FLA) – 596.90
- Meghan Wenzel (UGA) – 588.60
- Samantha Vear (FSU) – 578.80
- Paige Burrell (UNC) – 569.60
- Alicia Mora (FAU) – 566.70
- Emily Grund (UNC) – 565.80
- Helene Synnott (NCSU) – 552.90
Competition continues Tuesday at 11 a.m. with the women’s 3-meter followed by the men’s platform. There are nine qualifying spots for the women and nine for the men.
SIMPLIFIED INVITE PROCEDURES
You can read a more in-depth look at the selection process here.
Effectively, each zone earns a specific number of qualifying spots in each event, based on how that Zone performed at NCAAs last year. Divers who place inside the qualifying places earn an NCAA invite. A diver invited in one event can compete at NCAAs in any other diving event where they were top 12 in their Zone meet.
The highest-placing divers earn NCAA reimbursement, while lower-placing qualifiers can compete at NCAAs, but their school must pay for their travel and lodging at the meet.
