Kara Holt Qualifies for NCAA Championships

Sunday, March 7

Greensboro, N.C.

All Day

University of Tennessee

NCAA Zone B Diving Championships

March 09, 2021 | Swimming & Diving

Results

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Lady Vol diver Kara Holt punched her ticket to the Women's NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships with her sixth-place finish on platform Tuesday at the Greensboro Aquatic Center.

With eight spots open to qualify, Holt finished sixth with a prelims and finals combined score of 507.25. The sophomore scored 267.90 in preliminaries and followed that with a finals mark of 239.35.

It is the first NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships qualification for the Orlando, Florida, native.

"It was an incredible performance from Kara today," diving coach Dave Parrington said. "It was clear from the moment we walked into the pool that she was ready for this moment. She was focused and on top of her game all day. I couldn't be prouder of her. Since she has been on campus, she has worked her tail off. Kara has done everything we've asked of her and you love to see somebody achieve what they deserve."

Junior Grace Cable just missed out on qualifying for NCAAs, finishing ninth, just one spot out of the qualification zone. She closed with a finals score of 246.90 and was followed in 13th by Elle Renner, scoring 234.70.

The men wrapped up competition on 1-meter springboard with Matthew Wade and Bryden Hattie both qualifying for the event at NCAAs. Wade placed 10th at 340.00 and was followed up by Hattie in 11th with 317.30.

Hattie is now qualified to compete on all three boards – 1-meter, 3-meter and platform – at the Men's NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Wade is qualified for both 1-meter and 3-meter springboard at NCAAs.

Will Hallam finished 16th on 1-meter with a finals score of 307.60. He will compete on 3-meter springboard and platform at the NCAA Championships.

"Will has had a lot to overcome, having surgery in the fall at a much later date than we would have preferred," Parrington said. "For him to battle back and have a good SECs and an even better Zones given those circumstances says a lot about his heart and competitiveness. Bryden qualifying on three events is a great achievement for a freshman. That is a credit to his talent, drive to compete and the hard work he has put in.

"Matt was a model of consistency today as well, doing what he needed to get it done. He dove through some major cramps in his calf, but he hung in there and got the job done and did some really nice stuff."

Dillon Richardson (268.20), Keegan Richardson (252.70) and Jacob Reasor (229.05) rounded out the men's squad on 1-meter with finishes of 21st, 24th and 25th.

NCAA QUALIFIERS
Bryden Hattie – 1-Meter, 3-Meter, Platform

Will Hallam – 3-Meter, Platform

Matthew Wade – 1-Meter, 3-Meter

Keegan Richardson – Platform

Kara Holt – Platform

UP NEXT
The NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships are up next for the Lady Vols. NCAAs begin March 17 in Greensboro, North Carolina. For the men, the NCAA Championships begin March 24.

QUOTABLES

Diving Coach Dave Parrington

On Grace Cable's performance this week…
"I am really proud of her. She was 12th on both springboards and put a lot of pressure on her performance today and came up .15 short of getting into NCAAs on all three events. She fought and scrapped all day long and just came up a tad short. I am really proud of her effort."

On Matthew Wade's work load…
"It's been a tough road and it's a credit to him to work his way through it. A nine-hour bus ride each way to and from SECs with tough competition there and turns around and jumps on a plane the next day and flies all the way to Spain for meets over there and flies back. Then four days later has this tough meet. He finally gets a few days where he can just chill when we get back and recover."