Air Force Diving Invite concludes for BYU divers

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The third and final day of the Air Force Diving Invite came to an end for the BYU dive team Saturday afternoon at the Cadet Natatorium, with both the men and women teams competing in the platform event.

"This weekend was a good showing of where we are as a team in preparation for conference in two weeks," said dive coach Tyce Routson. "I am excited to see what we can accomplish at Mission Viejo for the MPSF Conference Championships." 

The women's team had what was arguably their best day of the weekend, as all three Cougars who competed in the event ultimately qualified for the finals. Alexia Jackson (216.75, 4th place), Sophia DeBergh (212.30, 6th place) and Brooklyn Larson (203.30, 10th place) all finished the prelim round in the top 10 out of 30 participants. DeBergh's 212.30 was also a season and personal best score.

In the final round, it was Jackson who finished with the highest score among her fellow teammates, posting a 228.90 to come in third place overall. Larson finished with the next highest ranking among BYU divers, scoring a season-best 207.70 for a seventh-place finish, while DeBergh came in 10th place with a 201.00. 

The men's team saw four divers compete in the afternoon, with Chase Hindmarsh qualifying for the final round after his 313.75 prelim seventh-place finish. In the finals, Hindmarsh went on to place ninth overall, scoring a 298.75.

Other men's divers to compete in the platform event were Carter Davis, Nathan Marshall and Cody Dreesen. Davis had the next highest score for the Cougars in the prelim round, posting a 238.70 for 13th place, narrowly missing the cut for the finals. Marshall placed 20th in the prelim round, coming in with a season-best of 211.85, while Dreesen came in 21st, scoring a 193.10. 

After fantastic performances at this weekend's meets, the BYU divers will now turn their attention to their preparation for the MPSF Championships, Feb. 15-18.