GUNNISON – With 11 dives in a competition and degree of difficulty scoring, one perfect dive can make the difference. Senior
Jessica Anderson made that difference this evening in Paul Wright Natatorium, as she scored a school record and pool record 418.50 points to help Western State Colorado University women's swimming and diving to a 136.5 to 96.5 victory over CSU-Pueblo. Western won nine of 13 events in the win.
Anderson scored 360 points in a loss to Colorado Mesa's Abby Smith in the last meet in Paul Wright, but after tonight Anderson's score of 418.50 will vault her over Smith who had the fourth-best recorded dive in the nation. In fact, Anderson's score will become the third-best result in the nation, with the top-two results coming from the same individual. Her 418.50 broke the pool record, but more importantly breaks the school record held by Mary Ann Zeylmaker since the 80's, who was inducted into the Mountaineer Hall of Fame this fall.
Anderson's historic performance of 418.50 has deemed her eligible to be qualified for the NCAA Division II Diving Zone meet. If Anderson is selected to compete in the Zone meet for her region, she would have to place in the top-eight to advance to the National Championships. In order to add to her chances to be selected she must submit video evidence of some of her most difficult dives to be reviewed by national dive scorers.
Anderson wasn't the only one putting herself into national consideration this evening.
Randi Yarnell won the 200 free in a time of 1:54.44, earning herself a NCAA 'B' Standard mark. Yarnell went on to win the 500 free as well.
Other individual winners came from
Ariel Fitch in the 50 free,
Morgan Aragon in the 100 free,
Ma'alaea Lawrence in the 100 breast, and
Akemi King in the 400 IM.
Western also won both the 200 medley relay and the 200 free relay. Yarnell, Lawrence, Fitch and
Kate Hewson came together to kick off the meet with a win in the 200 medley. Hewson, Aragon,
Anna Kaiser and Lawrence closed things out with a win in the 200 free relay.
