COURTNEY STEWART The diving team won the Bruin
Invitational last weekend. All divers finished in the top 10.
By Errol Erin
Daily Bruin Contributor
The No. 2 UCLA women’s diving squad rose to the level of
tough competition during the 2001 Bruin Invitational Tournament on
Friday and Saturday.
Featuring 11 different teams, including crosstown rival No. 8
USC, the tournament kicked off on Friday at the Rose Bowl Aquatic
Center with the 3-meter springboard.
Senior Anne Baghramian (467.35) led the Bruins, taking second
place, and sophomore Heidi Prosser (453.80) placed fourth. Freshman
Nicci Fusaro (523.05) and junior Kellie Brennan (464.80) of USC,
who both compete for the national team, took first and third
respectively, while Rebecca McFall (429.10) of Kansas rounded out
the top five.
All Bruin divers finished in the top 10 out of 22 competitors;
freshman Michelle Brown (404.50) placed seventh, followed by
freshman Kasey Reinhard (394.10) at eighth and junior Liz Ackerman
(384.50) at 10th.
The team was pleased with the their results despite feeling
fatigued from a challenging week of practice.
“We were pretty tired from this week and some of us were
sick,” Baghramian said “But it went relatively well as
a group.”
On Saturday, Baghramian and Prosser again led the team. Prosser
(260.38) placed second in the 1-meter and was joined by Ackerman
(231.70), who finished third. Kasey Reinhard (221.10) finished
fifth, placing three Bruins into the top five.
Baghramian (355.70) followed Friday’s strong performance
in the 3-meter by taking second in the platform and Michelle Brown
(329.90) finished fourth.
“(Friday) we performed well in the 3-meter and we stayed
consistent (Saturday),” Baghramian said.
USC’s Fusaro, who won the 3-meter on Friday, took both
events on Saturday, but the Bruins did an excellent job of keeping
calm and performing well under the pressure.
“USC is our biggest competition and we all wanted to hold
our own,” Baghramian said. “It’s exciting when
they go first and do well and then we are up next.”
Coach Tom Stebbins believes that the team responded well in the
tournament despite practicing hard throughout the week.
“The tournament is designed to give experience for the
NCAA Zone E championships,” Stebbins said.
The focal point of the divers is the NCAA Zone E championships,
which take place on March 9-10 and are the qualifying round for the
diving NCAA’s, taking place on March 15-17. Upon qualifying
for one event, a diver is automatically able to compete in all
three. Six Bruins are expected to compete there.
The Bruins are led by Baghramian and Brown, who have already
qualified in the 3-meter and 1-meter, respectively. Baghramian and
Brown performed well early in the season, and teammate
Prosser’s hard work has helped overcome the setback of an
injury earlier in the year.
This weekend the Bruins were without junior Chrissie Amorosia
and sophomore Regan Gosnell, who didn’t practice last week
and hope to return today. Gosnell, who led the team in the Georgia
Invitational, has already qualified on the 1- and 3-meter
springboard. Three other Bruins are expected to compete.
The diving squad returns to Pac-10 action Friday against
Stanford and Saturday against Cal.