COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Seniors Nate Cox, Sean Mokhtari and MacKenzie Tweardy qualified for the NCAA Championships via the 10-meter platform for the second year in a row and three other Purdue divers also earned the right to compete from the platforms at NCAAs as the Zone C Championships came to a close Saturday.
Steele Johnson, Jamie Bissett and Mary Beth Dunnichay finished the weekend having qualified for all three diving events at the NCAA Championships. Johnson finished second in the men's platform competition Saturday to finish the week with second-, first- and second-place showings on 1-meter, 3-meter and platform respectively. His prelim score of 514.15 Saturday was a personal record and improved on his second-best score in program history.
Six of Purdue's eight active divers qualified for NCAAs this week. Four men's divers are headed to the national championship meet for the second year in a row.
Both the Purdue men's and women's swimming and diving programs had seven student-athletes qualify for the NCAA Championships as individuals this season. Additionally, three other men will get bids as part of the 200 medley relay team and two other women will go as part of the 800 freestyle relay team.
Cox, Mokhtari and Tweardy all capitalized on their final opportunities to qualify for the national championship meet. Cox and Mokhtari had to place among the top six on the platforms and did just that with third- and fourth-place finishes, respectively. Tweardy had to be among the top eight and took third.
With Johnson, Bissett and Dunnichay having already qualified for NCAAs earlier this weekend, they only had to be among the top 12 Saturday to compete from the platforms at the national championship meet. Johnson and Dunnichay each finished second and Bissett placed seventh.
Alec Back capped a strong weekend with a ninth-place finish on the platforms Saturday. The senior was among the top 12 in all three events, but was unable to lock up an automatic-qualifying spot in any of the events that would have earned him a berth at NCAAs.
The women's NCAA Championships are set for March 19-21 in Greensboro, N.C. The men's NCAA Championships are the following week, March 26-28 in Iowa City.
NCAA Zone C Diving Championships
Day Three Qualifiers for NCAA Championships
Men's Platform (Top 6 Finishers; Top 12 Qualify if Already Earned NCAAs Bid)
James Connor, Indiana
Steele Johnson, Purdue
Nate Cox, Purdue
Sean Mokhtari, Purdue
Michael Hixon, Indiana
Levi Lindsey, Kentucky
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Jamie Bissett, Purdue
Women's Platform (Top 8 Finishers; Top 12 Qualify if Already Earned NCAAs Bid)
Jessica Parratto, Indiana
Mary Beth Dunnichay, Purdue
MacKenzie Tweardy, Purdue
Carey Chen, Michigan
Taylor Ford, Ohio State
Christa Cabot, Kentucky
Emily Stalmack, Louisville
Rebecca Hamperian, Kentucky
Purdue Divers, Men's Platform
Steele Johnson, 770.85 - Finished 2nd in Finals (256.70 Finals, 514.15 Prelims)
Nate Cox, 744.30 - Finished 3rd in Finals (391.55 Finals, 352.75 Prelims)
Sean Mokhtari, 736.75 - Finished 4th in Finals (382.75 Finals, 354.00 Prelims)
Jamie Bissett, 656.90 - Finished 7th in Finals (313.20 Finals, 343.70 Prelims)
Alec Back, 693.45 - Finished 9th in Finals (377.65 Finals, 315.80 Prelims)
Purdue Divers, Women's Platform
Mary Beth Dunnichay, 571.00 - Finished 2nd in Finals (283.1 Finals, 287.90 Prelims)
MacKenzie Tweardy, 565.00 - Finished 3rd in Finals (279.25 Finals, 285.75 Prelims)
Events Qualified for at NCAAs
Jamie Bissett: 1-Meter, 3-Meter & Platform
Mary Beth Dunnichay: 1-Meter, 3-Meter & Platform
Steele Johnson: 1-Meter, 3-Meter & Platform
Nate Cox: Platform
Sean Mokhtari: Platform
MacKenzie Tweardy: Platform