Upcoming Event: Men's Swimming & Diving versus Alumni Meet on October 11, 2025 at 10:00 AM
10:00 AM
Men's Swimming & Diving
vs Alumni Meet
Monday, March 10
Federal Way, Wash.
University of Utah
vs
NCAA Diving Zones
Photo by: Axe Tang/Utah Athletics
Utah Dive to Fight for NCAA Qualifications in Washington
3/7/2025 12:31 PM | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving
Marschner’s squad hosts West Coast divers in NCAA qualifying meet
SALT LAKE CITY – The University of Utah dive team is prepped and ready to compete in the NCAA Zone E competition, hoping to place within the NCAA qualifying standards in Federal Way, Wash. with the contest beginning on Monday and continuing until Wednesday at the Weyerhauser King County Aquatic Center.
"The team and I are really excited and optimistic about Zones," said head dive coach Richard Marschner. "We have a great team and a good shot to qualify multiple divers to NCAAs. The meet is an absolute pressure cooker, but the competition schedule that we've had this year has really prepared us to excel at this meet. We do more invites than any other program and this is where it really pays dividends for our program."
Understanding Zones
In the world of diving, the nation is split into five zones, named A-E. Each Zone is divided with number of schools and competitors in mind. Zone A is mapped out with the north-eastern states down to Virginia, while Zone B goes from Tennessee to Florida. Zone C starts off the middle of the nation marking down Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio. Zone D grabs a large group, going from Wisconsin and Minnesota and takes everything down to Texas and Louisiana. With Zone E collecting the rest of the map, including all states between Montana, New Mexico, California and Washington.
Life on the Boards
Looking Ahead
After Zones, the qualifying student-athletes will head to the national stage for the NCAA championship in Federal Way, Wash. with the women competing March 19-22 and the men beginning on March 26 and wrapping on March 29.
Follow the Utes!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @UTAHswimdive | Instagram: @utahswimdive | Facebook: Facebook.com/UtahUtesSwimDive), and the official mobile app of Utah Athletics, Utah360 -- download here.
"The team and I are really excited and optimistic about Zones," said head dive coach Richard Marschner. "We have a great team and a good shot to qualify multiple divers to NCAAs. The meet is an absolute pressure cooker, but the competition schedule that we've had this year has really prepared us to excel at this meet. We do more invites than any other program and this is where it really pays dividends for our program."
Understanding Zones
In the world of diving, the nation is split into five zones, named A-E. Each Zone is divided with number of schools and competitors in mind. Zone A is mapped out with the north-eastern states down to Virginia, while Zone B goes from Tennessee to Florida. Zone C starts off the middle of the nation marking down Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio. Zone D grabs a large group, going from Wisconsin and Minnesota and takes everything down to Texas and Louisiana. With Zone E collecting the rest of the map, including all states between Montana, New Mexico, California and Washington.
- To qualify for Zones, women have to reach a total score of 265 on 1m, 280 on 3m and 225 on platform during competition.
- The men have cuts of 300 on both platform and 1m and a cut of 320 on 3m.
- For the women each Zone is automatically allotted five places on each board, four for the men, with additional spots being earned when a diver reaches the finals in the previous year at the NCAA meet. For example, senior Holly Waxman earned a place in the top 16 on all three boards at the 2024 NCAA competition, meaning this year at Zones, she added an additional qualifying spot on each board.
- The better each Zone does at NCAAs, the more spots they will have the next year.
- Zone E women have eight spots on the springboard and nine spots on the platform, while the men have six on the boards and seven on tower.
- In order to qualify for the national meet, the diver must place within the allotted spots at their Zone meet.
- This means, our women must place in the top-seven on springboard and top-eight on tower, and top-six on the board and top-seven on platform for the men to make it back to Federal Way, Wash. for the national competition.
Life on the Boards
- Last year, the dive team sent four divers to the national stage, Waxman, junior Kathryn Grant, sophomore Emilia Nilsson Garip and junior Elias Petersen.
- The Utes will be sending six divers to Zones, including Waxman, Grant, Petersen, senior Sydney Kowalski, freshmen Callie Eaglestone and graduate Jesco Helling.
- Waxman, Grant, Eaglestone, Petersen and Helling will be competing on all three events, with senior Sydney Kowalski focusing on the platform and three-meter.
- Eaglestone was named Big 12 Freshman Diver of the Meet after earning a place in the top-eight on the three individual events and helping the Utes to a silver in the team event.
- Helling earned Utah's first Big 12 Individual Championship after taking the gold on platform with a score of 362.75, beating out a Cincinnati diver by less than five points.
- Utah's women's dive team finished Conference at the top of the dive charts, accumulating 268 total points. On the men's side, the Utah men brought home the silver medal, finishing just below TCU.
Looking Ahead
After Zones, the qualifying student-athletes will head to the national stage for the NCAA championship in Federal Way, Wash. with the women competing March 19-22 and the men beginning on March 26 and wrapping on March 29.
Follow the Utes!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @UTAHswimdive | Instagram: @utahswimdive | Facebook: Facebook.com/UtahUtesSwimDive), and the official mobile app of Utah Athletics, Utah360 -- download here.
Players Mentioned
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Diving
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Diving
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Diving
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Diving
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Women's Swimming & DivingHear It From Harlan with Utah Diving's Holly Waxman
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