UCLA
NCAA Zone E Diving Championships
Polyakova, Belanger Finish 1-2 in 1M Championship at Zones
March 12, 2019 | Swimming & Diving
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. โ Senior Maria Polyakova won her second title in as many days while fellow senior Eloise Belanger joined in her qualifying for NCAAs after the duo finished 1-2 in the 1-meter competition at the 2019 Zone E Diving Championships.
Polyakova topped the field on Tuesday with a combined score of 643.50 in 1M, logging a score of 320.80 in the prelims and then one-upping herself with a 322.70 in the finals. Belanger had a combined score of 622.90, finishing second in the prelims with a score of 316.70 and then posting a 306.20 in the finals.
Outside UCLA's dynamic duo, only one diver (Arizona's Delaney Schnell) broke the 600-point threshold.
With those results, both Polyakova and Belanger have double-qualified for next week's NCAA Championships. Polyakova won Monday's 3M championship with a score of 696.75 while Belanger was fourth at 635.55.
Belanger, the reigning Pac-12 Diver of the Year, has a chance at triple qualification as she competes in the platform championship tomorrow alongside senior Traci Shiver. The Montreal, Quebec native finished second in all three events at Zones last year.
"Both Maria and Eloise did a great job today overall," said UCLA head diving coach Tom Stebbins. "Maria is starting to feel better, and her few mistakes are correctable and will be addressed before we leave for NCAAs. Eloise looked great, she was spectacular today. She did a really good job of minimizing mistakes."
Polyakova, the 2017 Pac-12 Diver of the Year and reigning UCLA/Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week, garnered 50 or more points on four of her six finals dives, finishing off her list with a 61.10 on her 5134D attempt, her highest score of the finals.
Similarly, Belanger saved her best dive for last, recording a 54.60 on her final attempt, a 5333D. She hit the 50-point threshold on all but one of her finals dives. Her 316.70 in the prelims represented a new season-high in 1M (previously 314.70 at the Bruin Diving Invitational).
The 2019 Zone E Diving Championships conclude tomorrow with the platform competition. Prelims start at 11:00 a.m. with the finals set to begin at approximately 1:30 p.m.
"We're going to make a run tomorrow with Eloise and Traci on tower," said Stebbins. "Hopefully we can pick up another spot."
Players Mentioned
