March 8, 2004

THIS WEEK:

University of Utah diver Sterling Richards has earned the opportunity to compete at the NCAA Diving Regional Qualifying round, March 11-13. The regional qualifying will take place at the Aquatic Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., the same site of the 2004 MWC Championships.

UTE NOTES:

Richards was named the Mountain West Conference 2004 Diver of the Year, he is also the MWC champion in the 3-meter dive, where he scored a 534.55 at the MWC Championships. He also added a second-place finish in the 1-meter dive, making the all-MWC team in both events.

In the regional qualifying round, the top seven divers overall will qualify for the NCAA Championships. The winners of each event will qualify along with the second-place and the third-place finisher in the 3-meter dive will also get the chance to travel to the championships.

Diving coach Rachel Degener was named the 2004 MWC Men's Diving Coach of the Year, following Utah's performance at the conference championships.

QUOTING HEAD DIVING COACH Rachel Degener:

"We are very excited about the possibility of Sterling qualifying for the NCAA's and look forward to the zone qualifiers."