Utah Swim and Dive Has Successful Weekend at Home and on the Road
December 8, 2019
The University of Utah swimming and diving team had a great outing this past weekend at two different events, at home and on the road.
They hosted and competed in the Utah Diving Invitational on Friday and Saturday and walked away with several podium finishes.
On Friday, freshman Luke McDivitt took second in the 3m, scoring 393.20 while sophomore Tony Chen grabbed third with a score of 362.85. Freshman Chase Hindmarsh took sixth after scoring 286.10.
“Luke finished off a great meet and just missed winning,” said head diving coach Richard Marschner to Utah Athletics. “He missed his final dive and dropped back to third, but this was his best meet as a Ute.”
On the women’s side of things, junior Emma Ruchala finished fourth in the 1m scoring 267.95. Freshman Lizzy DeCecco finished right behind her with 263.75 and freshman Regan Caufield grabbed 8th scoring 243.95.
“The women had a great night and really made some great improvements and adjustments on their dives,” Marschner said to Utah Athletics. “Even though Lexi Mills did not qualify for the finals I am really excited about how she dived in prelims. I think she is going to make a big charge in the new year. Caufield was electric and it was fun watching her light it up tonight.”
On the second day, McDivitt finished third overall in the men’s 1m. Hindmarsh grabbed sixth, and Chen stayed in the top ten.
Caufield was the top Utah scorer for the women. DeCecco finished fifth and Ruchala seventh.
Meanwhile, the swim team was in Minnesota for the Minnesota Invite Long Course Time Trials.
Sophomore Robert King and junior Felix Chiun both finished less than a second off Olympic qualifying time in the 200 and 100 free respectively. Chiun also got Utah’s highest score in the 100 fly with sophomore Ben Waterman right behind. In the 400 IM, sophomore Jackson Cunningham finished second and freshman Charity Pittard finished third in the same event on the women’s side. Sophomore Cole Giandinoto topped the event for 200 fly and freshman Abbie Hurst finished 8th in eighth in the 100 breast.
The Utes are now off until January when the women face Washington State on the 17, the men face Denver on the 18 and the diving team will travel to UCLA on the same weekend.
