March 6, 2015
| PENN STATE @ NCAA ZONE 'A' DIVING REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS |
Mon., Mar. 9 | Tue., Mar. 10 | Wed., Mar. 11 |
| UB Alumni Arena Natatorium | Buffalo, N.Y. |
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A total of five Penn State divers will take to the boards next week to compete in NCAA Zone `A' Diving Regionals which will be hosted by the University at Buffalo.
The event was originally scheduled to take place in Big Ten territory as Rutgers was set to host the competition but it has since been moved to upstate New York, where T.J. Schenkel (Richboro, Pa.), Connor Scanlon (Laurel, Md.) and Travis Wright (Derby, N.Y.) will make the trip on the men's side.
Diving coach Dennis Ceppa will also be taking Meredith Harbison (Butler, Pa.) and Mackenzie Cornell (Germantown, Md.) from the women's team. All PSU participants will be competing in the one and three meter spring board events.
The regional championships will kick-off Monday, Mar. 9 and last until Wednesday, Mar. 11th in Buffalo, with those finishing with the highest scores moving on to the NCAA Championships.
MEET NOTES
THE EVENT
The Zone `A' competition is just one of five similar regional championships taking place throughout the country on those same days as Zone `B' will be held in Athens, Ga and `C' set to take place in Columbus, Ohio. Zone's `D' and `E' are in Iowa City, Iowa and Colorado Springs, Colo., respectively. Those advancing on the women's side will go the NCAA's (Mar. 19-21) in Greensboro, N.C., while the men's top finishers will go to Iowa City for NCAA's (Mar. 26-28).
THE MEN
Penn State will feature two first-timers to the NCAA Zones in 2015 along with one veteran. Schenkel has competed in the event for the last two years while Scanlon and Wright will be making their first trip as freshman.
So far this season, Schenkel leads all Blue and White divers with highest scores in both the one and three meters. His career high tally of 322.19 in the one meter came Jan. 25 on senior day against Navy, while his 349.80 mark in the three-meter was earned that same day. He has claimed victories in four total events so far this season, one in the one meter and three in the three meter.
Scanlon's season best scores are 289.57 in the one meter and 320.70 in the three meter which also came against Navy. Wright's highest marks consist of a 306.22 score in the one meter as well as a 338.85 performance in the three meter, coincidentally enough again against Navy on Jan. 25. Wright has secured a total of three victories on the year, a pair in the one meter and one in the three meter.
THE WOMEN
Both Nittany Lion women competing in Zones this year will be making their return trip to the event as Meredith Harbison and Mackenzie Cornell competed in Blacksburg last season. This will both be the pair's second appearance at the NCAA Zone Diving Championships in their respective careers.
Cornell leads all Penn State divers in top scores this season in both the one and three meters as her 292.27 was best in the one meter and her 303.15 tally in the three meter puts her on the top of that leader board as well. Both of those scores were career bests for the standout sophomore and earned her a gold in each event. Her one meter performance came on Jan. 24 vs. Navy and her three meter score occurred Jan. 31 at the Bison Invite hosted by Bucknell.
Harbison's top scores this season have come at the Georgia Fall Invite (Dec. 5-7), when she earned a 223.45 mark in the one meter and then she put up a 250.00 tally on the board at the Big Ten Championships (Feb. 25-28), which was a career best for her in that event.
EVENT HISTORY
Last season coach Ceppa brought the same number of divers to Zones, this time held in Blacksburg, Va. In 2014 though, there were just two men and three women as opposed to that reverse total this year. Schenkel, Harbison and Cornell made up three of the five last season and do again this time around in 2015.
COVERAGE
Recaps will be posted to GoPSUSports.com and live results will be available via divemeets.com. Complete final results will be posted to ubbulls.com and a live video stream of diving action will also be available by going to that site as well.