CMS Men's Divers Compete at NCAA Regionals

ATLANTA, Ga. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps divers from the men's swimming and diving team were in action at the NCAA Division III Regionals at Emory University in Atlanta on Friday and Saturday.

Six spots at the NCAA Division III Championships were at stake, and on Friday, defending regional champion Lucas Bumgarner of Emory earned his ticket by finishing first in the one-meter, along with Justin Toth and Avery Balch of Birmingham Southern, who finished second and third.

Cyrus Gaylord was the top finisher for the Stags in eighth place with 401.90 points, with Jack Griffith in ninth with 398.65 points, putting them both in position to qualify with strong showings in the three-meter on Saturday. 

Bumgarner and Balch went 1-2 in the three-meter, and John Beuerlein of Rhodes finished third to earn a qualification as well. Garrett George became the third Birmingham Southern diver to qualify by coming in fourth (after a fifth-place finish in the one-meter), while Reid Omilian of Chapman came in sixth after a fourth-place finish in the one-meter. 

Griffith was the high finisher for the Stags in 10th place with 399.00 points, while Gaylord ended with 383.60 points. Ethan Sattley also competed for CMS in his rookie season and earned 335.20 points in the three-meter, after 357.30 in the one-meter, while Ben B. Smith had 363.05 points in the one meter.  

The CMS men's swimming and diving team will next turn its attention to nationals in Greensboro, N.C. next month, where Frank Applebaum will try to repeat as the national champion in the 200 fly (and also compete in the 100 fly and the 200 IM), while Lucas Lang will be back in the 1650 after earning a runner-up finish a year ago (and also compete in the 500, where he won the consolation final a year ago to come in tenth).