Duncan, McDaniels Claim Victories at Auburn Diving Invite
AUBURN, Ala. – Sam Duncan was victorious in the Men’s 1-Meter while Claire McDaniels notched the top spot in the Women’s Platform as Kentucky Diving wrapped up its three-day stay at the Auburn Diving Invite on Tuesday afternoon. In addition to the two event wins, McDaniels and freshman Devynn Bishop earned NCAA Zone standards in the Women’s Platform event, with Bishop notching two new career-best marks on the week.
The meet took place at the James E. Martin Aquatic Center on the campus of Auburn University, the site of the 2024 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships. The meet served a larger purpose for Kentucky divers, allowing them the chance to become familiar with the boards, pool, and views that will be featured at February’s conference championships.
Competition at the Auburn Diving Invite pitted the Cats against divers from Auburn, Illinois, and Missouri in all three disciplines. However, Kentucky does not have any entrants in the Men’s Platform event slated for Wednesday, thus their stay in the four-day event ended a day early.
The event got underway on Sunday afternoon with the Women’s 1-Meter and Women’s Team Event. McDaniels earned a podium finish in the 1-Meter, finishing in third place after posting a season-high score of 287.50. Abby Devereaux, Jodi Cobb, and Bishop also dove off of the lower springboard, earning sixth, seventh, and tenth place finishes, respectively.
The Women’s Team Event also took place on the opening day of diving with the Wildcats earning a runner-up finish after posting a score of 304.50. The event featured dives on all three disciplines, as the trio of Devereaux, McDaniels , and Bishop combining for second place.
On Monday, it was Duncan that stole the show. The senior from Oakton, Va. claimed the top spot in the Men’s 1-Meter competition that took place on Day 2 of the meet. Duncan, who placed second in preliminary dives, posted a final score of 355.95 to claim the top spot. The win marked the second 1-Meter title of the season for Duncan, who also took the top stop at the Tennessee Invite in November. Freshman Gavin Hang also dove off the 1-Meter, finishing in sixth.
Also on Monday was the Women’s 3-Meter. McDaniels led the way for the Wildcats with a fifth place finish, while Devereaux, Cobb, and Bishop finished in seventh, tenth, and twelfth, respectively. Although Bishop struggled in finals, the freshman from Indianapolis, Ind. earned a personal best score of 267.20 in preliminary competition.
McDaniels’ win in the Women’s Platform was the highlight of the Wildcats’ final day on the Plains. The senior from Chapel Hill, N.C. claimed her first event win of the season with a score of 265.25. Her showing in Auburn was good enough to earn her second NCAA Zone cut of 2023-24, adding to the one-meter standard that she earned at Indiana in October. She was the highest scoring Wildcat in all three events this week.
Bishop also earned a spot on the Platform podium, posting a massive career-high mark of 258.65 to finish in third place. The score topped her previous best, set in Tuesday’s prelims, by over 62 points and also earned the freshman her second Zone standard of her rookie campaign. Devereaux and Cobb also competed on the tower, finishing in seventh and eleventh, respectively.
Tuesday also featured the Men’s 3-Meter, where Duncan claimed third place with a final score of 295.10, while Hang also competed, finishing in 5th place. Hang’s 277.55 was a season-best score in NCAA competition.
Kentucky Swimming and Diving will return from the holiday break with a two-day home dual against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Action will take place at the Lancaster Aquatic Center on January 12 and 13, with admission free to the public. Start times for both days will be announced at a later date.
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