ITHACA, NY – The University of Rochester women's swimming and diving team was represented by five individuals at the NCAA Region 4 Diving Championships at Ithaca College's Kelsey Partridge Bird Natatorium on Friday afternoon, with day one of competition featuring the 1-meter event.
 
First-year Kaela Springer posted a solid effort to lead the Yellowjackets, placing in seventh with a score of 385.00 points.
 
Lilia MacKenzie finished 20th in the field, scoring 337.10 points, one spot ahead of senior Lizzie Budde who scored 334.75.
 
Wrapping up UR's divers were Julia Sides in 25th and Marlena Vieira in 26th. Sides scored 322.90 points and Vieira scored 316.80 points.
 
For Springer, her highest scoring dive was the reverse 1 ½ somersault pike which netted 43.20 points. Three dives ended over 40 points for the first-year, with also the forward 2 ½ somersault pike (41.60) and inward 1 ½ somersault pike (40.80) finishing as high scoring dives.
 
Mackenzie's top dive of the day was a 36.30 point total from the inward 1 ½ somersault tuck. Additionally, her first three dives of the day scored all 6.0 scores from the judges.
 
Budde started out strong, hitting scores of 7.0 from all three scoring judges on her first dive, an inward dive pike, scoring 31.50 points. Later in her dive list, the senior's top dive ended at 42.90 points, coming on an inward 1 ½ somersault tuck.
 
On her final dive, Sides capped her list with her top scoring, recording a back somersault 1 ½ twist score of 37.95 points. Vieira's final dive was the same as Sides, matching her top score of the day with the forward two somersault pike.
 
Day two of competition, featuring the women's 3-meter board, will take place starting at noon on Saturday.
 
The NCAA regional competitions will factor in deciding which divers are set to qualify for the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships in March.