March 14, 2008
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue sophomore Ashley Karnes won the 1-meter springboard title Friday at the NCAA Region C Diving Zones and will be heading back to Columbus, Ohio next week for the NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships.
Karnes scored 594.20 points through 12 dives at OSU's McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. The Bloomington, Ind., native also led the 41-woman field though the preliminary round with a six-dive score of 295.35 points.
Ohio State's Bianca Alvarez was second to Karnes with 587.15 points and Indiana's Brittany Feldman was third with 579.40 points.
Karnes began finals by earning awards of 7.5 from all five judges after executing a 1 1/2 back somersault with 1 1/2 twists, but fell back after earning 4.5's on her 2 1/2 forward somersault pike.
Karnes rebounded from her second dive by averaging 7.0's and 7.5's on her remaining four dives. She earned 57.20 points on dive number 5, which was a 1 1/2 forward somersault with two twists.
Junior Emily Wetzel, a 2007 NCAA Championships qualifier, placed eighth with 521.00 points. She was ninth after prelims with 261.25 points.
2008 Big Ten Platform Champion, Kara Cook, did not qualify for finals after placing 21st with 233.95 points.
2007 All-American Zach Schultz was the men's team's lone finalist. The Chicago, Ill., native placed fourth on 3-meter with 655.70 points.
Ohio State's Ryan Jefferson and Weston Wieser finished first and second, respectively, off their home springboards in the Ron O'Brien Diving Well. Jefferson totaled 684.65 points and Wieser picked up 676.50 points.
The NCAA Region C Diving Zones pick up again Saturday at 1 p.m. The men will compete on 1-meter and the women off 3-meter. Competitors leap off the tower beginning Sunday at 11 a.m.