March 10, 2011

Day One Results | Live Results

By Wes Todd
Assistant Media Relations Director

ATHENS, Ga. – For the fourth straight year, South Carolina diver Taryn Zack will compete at the NCAA Championships after securing one of nine available qualifying spots on Thursday at the NCAA Zone B Diving meet at the University of Georgia’s Gabrielsen Natatorium.

Zack’s 12-dive score of 669.00 on the 3-meter springboard was good enough for a third-place finish, guaranteeing her a fourth trip to the national championship meet, which runs March 17-19 at the University of Texas Swimming Center in Austin. The score also fell just .30 points short of a career-best. And junior Courtney Forcucci advanced to the finals as well, recording a score of 608.35 to finish in eighth place.

On the men’s side, sophomore Rylan Ridenour took a big step toward an NCAA Championships berth today with a sixth-place finish in the men’s 1-meter event. His 12-dive score of 684.30 was the best of his career and earned him the No. 15 priority spot; if several of the same divers that finished in the top five today also post top finishes on either the 3-meter or the platform, Ridenour’s chances to advance improve greatly.

Sophomore Chay Malvasio also competed for the Gamecock women, finishing 33rd with a score of 236.55. Three of the top four finishers in the women’s 3-meter event came from SEC schools; Auburn’s Vennie Dantin and Georgia’s Hannah Moore took second and fourth place, respectively. Duke All-American Abby Johnston was the top finisher.

In the men’s 1-meter competition, Florida State’s Landon Marzullo was the top finisher with a score of 757.75. Tennessee’s Michael Wright and Alabama’s Adam Booher took the next two spots, earning guaranteed bids to the NCAA Championships.

The groups will switch boards on Friday with women’s 1-meter prelims set to begin at 11 a.m., and men’s 3-meter prelims slated for a 3:30 p.m. start. Live results are available through divemeets.com.