Two Utes Punch Tickets to NCAA Championships to Wrap Up Zone E Competition

Wednesday, March 11

Flagstaff, Ariz.

All Day

University of Utah

NCAA Zone E Diving Championships

Photo by: Landon Johnson Photo.com

Two Utes Punch Tickets to NCAA Championships to Wrap Up Zone E Competition

3/11/2026 3:53 PM | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving

Petersen takes second on 1-meter, Grant finishes sixth on platform

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Seniors Elias Petersen and Kathryn Grant made finals on 1-meter and platform, respectively, to secure their spots at the NCAA Championships in Atlanta later this month and lead the way for the Utah diving program on the final day of the NCAA Zone E Diving Championships.

"Elias and Kat closed out their Zone career in style," head diving coach Richard Marschner said. "It's always good to see your senior leaders step up and perform when it matters. Really excited that they both added another event to their NCAA schedules. We'll be heading out to Atlanta in a few days and I'm looking forward to seeing what they can do there."

Petersen placed second on the men's 1-meter springboard, the highest finish of any Utah Ute on the day. The Big 12 Conference champion on the event logged a 355.80 in prelims, 20 points behind the leader, then averaged 55.2 points per dive in finals to secure his second-place result. The senior wrapped up his final NCAA Zones with a combined 687.10 total.

"Elias showed why he's one of the best divers in the country today," Marschner said.

Alex Just scored a 263.30 in prelims, finishing in 23rd place and one spot ahead of Attila Bernatsky and his 262.90 list score.

For the women of Utah, Grant was the lone competitor for the Utes on platform. The senior scored a 252.15 to sit sixth after prelims, then averaged over 50 points per dive in her five tries in finals to lock up sixth place. Grant finished with a combined total of 505.10.

"Kathryn was steady again," Marschner added. "She got the job done, hit a couple dives which is fun to see."

Looking Ahead
Postseason competition for Utah Swimming and Diving wraps up at the end of the month at the NCAA Championships in Atlanta. The Utah women will hit the water from March 18-21, while the men will compete from March 25-28.

Stay Connected
Fans can follow along on social media (X: @UTAHswimdive | Instagram: @utahswimdive | Facebook: FB.com/UtahUtesSwimDive), and the official mobile app of Utah Athletics, Utah360 -- download here.