Knight Dives to First-Team All American Finish on Night Two at NCAAs

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Fifth-year diver Kyndal Knight was named a First-Team All-American for the first time in her collegiate career as Kentucky concluded day two of the 2023 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships with a total of 26 points, good for 17th in the team competition at the Allan Jones Aquatic Center.

Knight, previously a five-time All-American honorable mention, found herself in Thursday’s one-meter “A-final”, where she would finish in seventh place with a score of 304.55. The Stanley, N.C. native qualified for the night session after posting the third-best score in prelims at 315.00. Knight’s seventh-place finish is her highest ever in any event at NCAAs, topping her 11th place result in one-meter back in 2021.

“Excellent diving by Kyndal today,” head diving coach Ted Hautau, said. “She performed confidently and consistently against an elite field.”

In the swimming portion of the day, the Wildcats’ results were highlighted by a pair of NCAA personal best finishes in the 500 freestyle. First it was junior Megan Drumm clocking a personal-best time of 4:45.58 to place 50th, before Izzy Gati followed with a swim of 4:41.83 to take 26th. Kaitlynn Wheeler (38th) and Beth McNeese (57th) also represented UK in the day’s first event.

The talented IM duo of Gillian Davey and Lauren Poole also took to the water on Thursday, competing in the 200 IM. The preliminary round saw Poole finish 28th at 1:57.05 and Davey in 52nd with a time of 1:58.90.

At the halfway point of the championships, Virginia leads the team standings with 208.5 points. The Cavaliers are followed by Texas at 162 and Louisville at 117.

Day three of the championships is scheduled for Friday with Kentucky student-athletes entered in the 400 IM, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, 3-meter diving and the 400 MR. Prelims will begin at 10 a.m. followed by finals starting at 6 p.m. Competition can be seen live on ESPN+, while live results are available on the Meet Mobile app.

First Team All-America Count: 1

• Kyndal Knight – One-meter Diving, 7th

All-America Honorable Mention Count: 1

• Gati, Wheeler, Frericks, McNeese – 800 Freestyle Relay, 10th

Personal Record Count: 2

• Izzy Gati – 200 Freestyle, 1:44.04*
• Megan Drumm – 500 Freestyle, 4:45.58

*Relay split

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