2022 LUMBERJACK DIVING INVITE
- November 18-20, 2022
- Flagstaff, Ariz.
- Diving-only
- Results
Courtesy: NAU Athletics
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (November 19, 2022) — Building off a solid first day of the Lumberjack Diving Invite on Friday, the Northern Arizona diving team continued to make up most of the finalists in the 1-meter diving events on Saturday.
NAU brought five divers in the 1-meter dive after leading the way with six participants in 3-meters on Friday.
“I think we were just as good today, if not better because I always think Day 2 is a little harder,” NAU head diving coach Nikki Kelsey said.
Junior Maegan Jensen matched her second-place finish in the 3-meter dive preliminary round yesterday with a 264.35 score, only behind Fresno State’s Silvia Alessio (269.40). Jensen was followed by freshman Grace Wesche (255.95) and senior Emily Luberto (247.95) in third and fourth place respectively. NAU saw five divers make the finals in the 3-meter with sophomore Makenna Sammons and junior Reaney Preston taking the last two spots in the top 8.
Sammons has shown to be the strongest diver across the first two days. The diver from San Diego, Calif. is the only participant to have a podium finish in both the 1- and 3-meter dives. Sammons finished second in the 3-meter on Friday and finished third in 1-meters on Saturday (270.90).
“Makenna Sammons is still probably the one diving the most consistent for our whole team for both days,” Kelsey said. “I am really pleased. We are consistent and doing some great things.”
Preston had a bounce-back day in 1-meter after missing the consolation round in 3-meter the day before.
“Reaney had an off day yesterday and just was awesome today,” Kelsey said.
Preston finished seventh in the final round with a score of 248.60.
Grace Wesche also improved on Saturday after winning the consolation round in 3-meter, turning her third-place prelim performance into a runner-up finish in the 1-meter finals (271.56). A Wesche sister won the consolation round for the second straight day, only this time it was freshman Margaret Wesche taking home the win (250.30) after missing the finals by over 10 points. Freshman Mackenna Stocker joined Wesche at the top of the consolation scoreboard, finishing third in the round (238.50). Stocker finished third in the 1-meter finals the day before, scratching a podium finish in the respective rounds each day.
“I’m really pleased with the comeback of Reaney,” Kelsey said. “I’m really pleased with Makenna’s overall consistency. All of the girls, every single one of them, were consistent and doing a lot of great things.”
NAU will conclude its Lumberjack Diving Invite on Sunday with platform dives starting at 10 a.m. MST and the relay event scheduled to begin at 12:15 p.m. MST in the Wall Aquatic Center.
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