INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana – Clarion University senior diver Kristin Day (Reynoldsville/DuBois) finished fourth on the 3 meter springboard with teammates Sarah Zerfoss (Jr. Shavetown) fifth and Lauren Slayton (Jr. White Lake, Mi.) ninth, plus Gabriella Schaffer (Jr. Reading/Muhlenberg) 15th in the 200 backstroke on Saturday night on the final day of the 2015 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Indianapolis.
(Photo: Kristin Day)
Held at the IUPUI Natatorium, the Golden Eagles finished in 15th place as a team scoring 92 points. Clarion was the top PSAC team at the NCAA’s, with West Chester in 21st place and Cal and Bloomsburg in 28th place. Queens (N.C.) won the team title with 540.5, Drury second with 489.5 and Wingate third with 211 points.
Kristin Day, winner of the NCAA Elite 89 Award on Tuesday night and winner on 1 meter on Thursday night with 506.85 points, finished fourth on 3 meter tonight with 512.20 points. In the finals tonight after two rounds she was in the lead, but missed her next dive and dropped back into sixth place. Kristin battled her way back to a fourth place finish making her coach very proud.
“Kristin showed what a true competitor she really is in coming back to get fourth place,” said 25-year veteran Dave Hrovat. “She has had a great career here at Clarion and I am so proud of what she has accomplished. She’s one of a kind.”
Day finished her Clarion career as an 8-time All-American and a three time NCAA Division II. She won the 1 meter on Thursday night and 2 titles in 2014 in dominating fashion. She won the 3 meter springboard title setting a new NCAA record with 539.35 points, winning the event by 52.9 points. She followed that with a 1 meter national title scoring 497.05 points, winning by 30.2 points.
Day finished third on the three meter board with 491.70 points and 5th on 1 meter with 449.90 points in 2013. In 2012 she was second on three meter scoring 484.75 points and fourth on one meter scoring 495.70 points.
Zerfoss meanwhile placed fifth on 3 meter with a 497.10 points tonight at nationals. Combined with a 5th place finish on Thursday night in the 1 meter competition with 468.35 points, Zerfoss is now a 6-time All-American. She also placed 4th on 3 meter last year with 475 points and was 4th on 1 meter with 460.65 points. In 2013 she was 7th on 1 meter with 425.55 points and 11th on three meter with 414 points.
Slayton finished 9th on 3 meter tonight with 456.65 points, while also placing 9th on 1 meter on Thursday night with 421.50 points. Slayton is now a 6-time career All-American. She placed 10th on 3 meter last year with 439.50 points, plus was 9th on 1 meter with 422.30 points. She was was 10th on 1 meter with 394.65 points and 16th on 3 meter scoring 392 points in 2013.
In the pool, Gabriella Schaffer earned All-America honors placing 15th in the 200 yard backstroke with a time of 2:02.92. She swam a 2:01.53 in the prelims to qualify for the “B” final. Schaffer placed 9th in the 100 backstroke on Friday night with a Clarion record time of 54.65.
Schaffer is now a 6-time career All-American. She placed 12th in the 100 at nationals last year with a time of 56.47, and 15th in the 200 back with a time of 2:01.70.
In 2013 she was a two-time NCAA D-II All-American, placing 10th in the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:01.81 and 13th in the 100 back with a time of 56.42.
CLARION NOTES: This year’s NCAA’s saw Clarion claim two NCAA Diving titles, one each for Collin Vest and Kristin Day… Those 2 titles now gives Coach Hrovat 44 NCAA titles in 25 seasons … He has also crowned an unbelievable 265 All-Americans … He has been named NCAA D-II “Diving Coach of the Year” 23-times … He has been Women’s coach of the year in 2014, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2005, 04, 02, 01, 2000, 1995 and 93, and Men’s coach in 2014, 2011, 2010, 2003, 02, 98, 97, 96 , 92 and 91… Hrovat’s divers swept all 4 NCAA titles a year ago (2 men’s & 2 women’s) … In his 25 seasons Hrovat’s divers have failed to win at least 1 NCAA title in only 3 seasons including 1994, 2012 and 2013.
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