Meghan Bartlett (Johnstown, N.Y./Johnstown) finished in third place in the 3-meter diving competition at the Regional Meet at Cortland on Saturday. Bartlett was 0.70 from the second-place competitor and just 5.3 points from first place.
Bartlett's 11-dive total was 444.15. She was edged out by Anna Belson of Ithaca College who finished at 444.85. Miranda Fergus of Cortland won the competition with a score of 459.45.
Samantha Kowalewski (Cowlesville/Attica) and Julie Coomer (East Aurora/Iroquois) also participated, finishing ninth and eighteenth, respectively. Kowalewski scored a 409.45, and Coomer turned in a 366.00.
A day earlier, Bartlett finished in fifth off the 1-meter board. With her third-place finish Saturday, Bartlett is guaranteed a spot in the NCAA Division III Championships which will be held March 16-19 in Greensboro, N.C.
A year ago, Bartlett had a successful trip to the Championships held in Shenandoah, Texas. She earned All American status off both boards. She was sixth nationally off the 3-meter, and seventh off the 1-meter.
OFFICIAL NATIONAL QUALIFIERS:
1) Natalie Snyder (RIT) (1st place, 1 meter)
2) Miranda Fergus (Cortland) (1st place, 3 meter)
3) Meghan Kilgallon (Brockport) (3rd place, 1 meter) (since Fergus was 2nd on 1 meter)
4) Anna Belson (Ithaca) (2nd place, 3 meter)
5) Katie Helly (Ithaca) (4th place, 1 meter)
6) Meghan Bartlett (Fredonia) (3rd place, 3 meter)
7) Machika Kaku (Carnegie Mellon) (6th place, 1 meter) (since Bartlett was 5th on 1 meter)
Alternates:
Lindsey Suddaby (Ithaca) (4th place, 3 meter)
Claudia Kolakowski (Geneseo) (7th place, 1 meter)
