GRANVILLE, Ohio (March 1, 2024) – Six Denison University divers competed on day one of the 2024 NCAA Division III Central Diving Regional hosted by the Big Red inside the Trumbull Aquatics Center. Sophomores Brendan Stanley and Nick Fogle were entered in the men's 3-meter dive while junior Kerstyn Johnson, fellow-junior Alexis Radhakrishnan, sophomore Lu-Si Minnich, and freshman Molly McIntyre dove in the women's 1-meter competition.

Denison finished with three women's divers in the top-10 and had two top-10 performances on the men's side.

Johnson, the two-time reigning North Coast Athletic Conference Diver of the Year, was third out of 29 competitors in the women's 1-meter dive with an 11-dive score of 415.25. She trailed only Wenxuan Tang (429.85) and Lilia Atanda (422.05) from the University of Chicago in first and second place, respectively. Johnson's best dive was a reverse 1 1/2 somersault tuck (303C) worth 43.05 points on her eighth attempt.

Johnson was followed by Radhakrishnan (393.00) in sixth place and Minnich (377.20) in ninth. Radhakrishnan's eighth dive was also her best dive, resulting in a forward 2 1/2 somersault pike (105B) for 46.80 points. Minnich, meanwhile, had her best dive on her last attempt, hitting a forward 1 somersault 2 twist free (5124D) for 41.40 points.

Lastly on the women's side, McIntyre finished 15th in her first regional appearance with a score of 368.05. Her best attempt was an inward 1 1/2 somersault pike (403B) for 43.20 points on her sixth dive.

Johnson was ninth in the 1-meter dive at regionals a year ago, marking a six-spot improvement, while Minnich was 10th a year ago and moved up one spot this year.

In the men's 3-meter dive, Stanley finished fifth out of 20 divers with an 11-dive score of 418.55 while Fogle was eighth at 414.40. Stanley's best dive came on his sixth attempt, a forward 3 1/2 somersault tuck (107C), which earned him 51.80 points. Fogle's best dive was a forward 2 1/2 somersault 1 twist pike (5152B) worth 51.00 points and which came on his 10th attempt. As freshmen a year ago, Stanley and Fogle were 20th and 22nd, respectively, in the 3-meter dive at regionals.

The 3-meter champion on the men's side was Kenyon College's Israel Zavaleta with a score of 578.25, 98.70 points in front of Chicago's Spencer Dearman (479.55) in second place.

The Denison divers will return on Saturday, March 2, for the conclusion of the NCAA Division III Diving Regional. The men's 1-meter will start things off at 12 p.m., followed by the women's 3-meter.
 
Men's 3-Meter Championship Results
Women's 1-Meter Championship Results