Drexel University
NCAA Diving Zone Meet
Hynes Wins Both Boards at NCAA Regional, Advances to National Championships
3/16/2009 10:36:38 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
Buffalo, N.Y. - For the third consecutive season, Kate Hynes won both the 1- and 3-meter dives at the NCAA Zone A Regional and will advance to the NCAA Championships. Hynes took the 3-meter dive on Friday then finished off the sweep on Saturday. It marked the first time in more than 15 years, a women's diver won both boards for three straight seasons at the Zone A Regional. She led every step of the way as she won both preliminaries and will travel to the campus of Texas A&M for the NCAA Championships starting on Thursday.
On the 3-meter board, Hynes led all entrants with a 322.40 after preliminaries. The score carried over to the finals as she held a 2.40 point-advantage over second-place Kathrine Giarra of Princeton. Hynes extended her lead with her first dive, a forward two-and-a-half somersault pike that earned 46.80 points. Her third dive of the finals was a reverse two-and-a-half somersault tuck that netted 61.20 points to keep Hynes in the lead despite a 67.20 total on the same dive from Giarra. Hynes put an exclamation mark on the event with her sixth and final dive of the competition as her forward two-and-a-half somersault one twist pike, her highest degree of difficulty dive, resulted in a score of 66.00. Her total score for the event was 669.60, nearly 45 points higher than Giarra's second-place score of 625.95.
Hynes closed the preliminary on the 1-meter with a 27-point lead over second place Meili Carpenter. She continued her dominance throughout the finals as Hynes built on her 307.80 preliminary score. Her second dive of the finals, a forward two-and-a-half somersault pike, earned sevens or higher from every judge as she totaled 55.90 to boost her lead. After a pair of solid dives, Hynes put the competition away with a 54.00 on an inward one-and-a-half somersault pike and a forward one-and-a-half somersault two twist free that scored 55.90 as her final two dives.
Hynes will compete in College Station, Texas in the 2009 NCAA Championships. Last season, she became Drexel's first Division I swimming & diving All-American after placing 13th on the 3-meter board.
