2023 Auburn Diving Invite
- December 17-20, 2023
- Auburn, Alabama
- Diving
- Results
Courtesy: Auburn Athletics
DAY 1 RECAP
AUBURN, Ala. – Head diving coach John Fox couldn’t have asked for a better start to the Auburn Diving Invitational on Sunday. Several season-bests and a career-high from Kyleigh Kidd paved the way for zones scores aplenty and a team event win.
The Auburn women wasted little time getting off to a hot start on Sunday.
Kyleigh Kidd, Ashlynn Sullivan and Abigail Farrar all came out blazing on the 1-meter springboard. All three Tigers put together a prelim list that featured scores north of 260, earning the trio a second list.
It was Kidd who bested everyone inside James E. Martin Aquatics Center, dialing up a thrilling 288.30 in finals for a new career high and her first win for the Orange and Blue.
Sullivan wasn’t too far behind. Her 283.80 was a season-best and earned the senior fourth overall. Meanwhile, Farrar’s 273.05 was also a season-high and fifth place.
All three have now clinched a spot on the 1-meter for the NCAA Zones Qualifier in March.
In the new team event, Fox’s crew couldn’t have asked for a better afternoon in the diving well. Sullivan, Kidd and Farrar combined for a 324.45, highlighted by a terrific platform dive from Farrar, as the Tigers took first place.
DAY 2 RECAP
AUBURN, Ala. – Another day, another victory for sophomore Kyleigh Kidd. The Southlake, Texas native put up another career-high 322.55 to win the 3-meter while another handful of Tigers collected zones scores Monday inside James E. Martin Aquatics Center.
Fresh off winning the 1-meter on Sunday for her first collegiate victory, Kidd went for a career-best 317.90 in prelims to qualify first overall. In finals, Kidd brought her game to the next level, resetting the bar with a 322.55 and notching her second win of the week.
Meanwhile, Ashlynn Sullivan grabbed a spot on the podium with a solid 294.60 and third place in finals. Abigail Farrar earned herself a second list with a strong prelims performance and delivered a 271.95 and fourth overall.
The Auburn men took to the boards for the first time during the week. Whit Andrus paced the Tigers with a season-best 351.15 in his second list to take third overall.
Hunter Kebler finished right behind his teammate in fourth, conjuring a 293.75 in finals, while Talan Blackmon took fifth. Freshman Alex Just would take seventh overall.
UP NEXT
The Auburn women will hit the tower on Tuesday while the men move over to the 3-meter. Both events will begin at 11 a.m. CT.
DAY 3 RECAP
AUBURN, Ala. – With the women on the tower and men moving over to 3-meter Tuesday, the Auburn divers put on a show inside James E. Martin Aquatic Center. Both Ashlynn Sullivan and Whit Andrus managed podium finishes and near season-bests to lead the Tigers.
In prelims, it was Abigail Farrar whose 245.70 was the best score of the morning and a season-high for the junior. The Pompano Beach, Florida product managed an even better effort in finals, grabbing fourth overall with a 251.50.
Sullivan put together a solid list in the morning for a 240.55 but had the Orange and Blue fans on hand in a frenzy during finals, dialing up a 261.25 for second place.
On the men’s side, Whit Andrus’ consistency shone through in both of his lists. Andrus scored 338.85 in prelims and a 338.25 in finals for second overall.
Teammate Hunter Kebler was the next closest Tiger in fourth. Freshmen Talan Blackmon took sixth and Alex Just secured seventh.
UP NEXT
The final day of the Auburn Diving Invitational features the men’s platform event. Prelims will begin at 10 a.m. CT.
DAY 4 RECAP
AUBURN, Ala. – Head diving coach John Fox and his Auburn diving crew concluded a terrific week with the men’s platform event on Wednesday. Senior Hunter Kebler capped off his impressive showing with a win and a career-high while the rest of the Tigers put together solid scores inside James E. Martin Aquatic Center.
Winston-Salem, North Carolina native Whit Andrus was the cream of the crop in prelims, striking a solid 346.20 with Kebler right behind at 343.13.
It was the Moultrie, Georgia product in finals, though, who brought the house down. Kebler strung together his best six dives from the platform in his career, piling up a 396.68 to take the win.
Andrus would follow in third. Meanwhile, Freshmen Talan Blackmon (285.60) took fourth and Alex Just (272.10) grabbed fifth.
UP NEXT
Fox and Co. will be back in action Jan. 3-5 for the Tennessee Diving Invitational. The Tigers return to the Plains for a dual against rival Georgia for Senior Day on Jan. 6.
Courtesy: Kentucky Athletics
AUBURN, Ala. – Sam Duncan was victorious in the Men’s 1-Meter while Claire McDaniels notched the top spot in the Women’s Platform as Kentucky Diving wrapped up its three-day stay at the Auburn Diving Invite on Tuesday afternoon. In addition to the two event wins, McDaniels and freshman Devynn Bishop earned NCAA Zone standards in the Women’s Platform event, with Bishop notching two new career-best marks on the week.
The meet took place at the James E. Martin Aquatic Center on the campus of Auburn University, the site of the 2024 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships. The meet served a larger purpose for Kentucky divers, allowing them the chance to become familiar with the boards, pool, and views that will be featured at February’s conference championships.
Competition at the Auburn Diving Invite pitted the Cats against divers from Auburn, Illinois, and Missouri in all three disciplines. However, Kentucky does not have any entrants in the Men’s Platform event slated for Wednesday, thus their stay in the four-day event ended a day early.
The event got underway on Sunday afternoon with the Women’s 1-Meter and Women’s Team Event. McDaniels earned a podium finish in the 1-Meter, finishing in third place after posting a season-high score of 287.50. Abby Devereaux, Jodi Cobb, and Bishop also dove off of the lower springboard, earning sixth, seventh, and tenth place finishes, respectively.
The Women’s Team Event also took place on the opening day of diving with the Wildcats earning a runner-up finish after posting a score of 304.50. The event featured dives on all three disciplines, as the trio of Devereaux, McDaniels , and Bishop combining for second place.
On Monday, it was Duncan that stole the show. The senior from Oakton, Va. claimed the top spot in the Men’s 1-Meter competition that took place on Day 2 of the meet. Duncan, who placed second in preliminary dives, posted a final score of 355.95 to claim the top spot. The win marked the second 1-Meter title of the season for Duncan, who also took the top stop at the Tennessee Invite in November. Freshman Gavin Hang also dove off the 1-Meter, finishing in sixth.
Also on Monday was the Women’s 3-Meter. McDaniels led the way for the Wildcats with a fifth place finish, while Devereaux, Cobb, and Bishop finished in seventh, tenth, and twelfth, respectively. Although Bishop struggled in finals, the freshman from Indianapolis, Ind. earned a personal best score of 267.20 in preliminary competition.
McDaniels’ win in the Women’s Platform was the highlight of the Wildcats’ final day on the Plains. The senior from Chapel Hill, N.C. claimed her first event win of the season with a score of 265.25. Her showing in Auburn was good enough to earn her second NCAA Zone cut of 2023-24, adding to the one-meter standard that she earned at Indiana in October. She was the highest scoring Wildcat in all three events this week.
Bishop also earned a spot on the Platform podium, posting a massive career-high mark of 258.65 to finish in third place. The score topped her previous best, set in Tuesday’s prelims, by over 62 points and also earned the freshman her second Zone standard of her rookie campaign. Devereaux and Cobb also competed on the tower, finishing in seventh and eleventh, respectively.
Tuesday also featured the Men’s 3-Meter, where Duncan claimed third place with a final score of 295.10, while Hang also competed, finishing in 5th place.Hang’s 277.55 was a season-best score in NCAA competition.
Kentucky Swimming and Diving will return from the holiday break with a two-day home dual against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Action will take place at the Lancaster Aquatic Center on January 12 and 13, with admission free to the public. Start times for both days will be announced at a later date.
