Palmer finishes 17th on three-meter springboard

COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Arkansas senior diver Madison Palmer placed 17th on the three-meter springboard on the first day of the NCAA Zone ‘D’ Diving Championships on Friday.Palmer, looking to qualify for her second straight NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, scored a 496.55 in the three-meter diving event on Friday afternoon. She was the only Razorback to advance to the finals of the event.

“We struggled today,” Arkansas diving coach Dale Schultz said. “Madison just had one of those days, and those days are going to happen.”

Freshmen Liana Bugslag and Alex Roman showed promise in their first appearance at a postseason collegiate diving event in the prelims of the three-meter diving event. Bugslag scored a 215.80 in the preliminary round and finished 23rd overall.

Roman, who will be looked to next season to fill the gap left when Palmer graduates in May, placed 26th with a prelim score of 180.10.

“It wasn’t our best day,” Schultz said. “The good news is, the events we’re focused on qualifying in, one-meter and tower, are tomorrow and Sunday, so our best events are still to come.”

The top eight finishers in each diving event qualify for the NCAA Championships meet, March 19-21 in College Station, Texas.

The University of Houston’s Anastasia Pozdniakova won the three-meter springboard competition and the University of Missouri, University of Texas and Southern Methodist University each qualified two divers for NCAAs on Friday.

On Saturday, the divers will take to the one-meter springboard at 10 a.m. at the Mizzou Aquatics Center on the University of Missouri campus. For updated results from the Zone Championships meet and for complete coverage of Razorback swimming and diving, visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com.