Success on the national stage led to Fredonia's Meghan Bartlett (Johnstown, N.Y./Johnstown) winning the 2016 SUNYAC Outstanding Female Diver of the Year Award.
A junior making her second trip to the NCAA championships, Bartlett earned two more All-America honors. In the 1-meter dive she finished second behind the four-time national champion. Bartlett also finished third in the 3-meter dive.
She was also a two-time All-America in 2015.
Prior to the NCAA Division III competition, Bartlett won the SUNYAC 3-meter title for the second straight season. She also finished second in the 1-meter at the SUNYAC meet. Yet another woman was chosen SUNYAC Diver of the Meet, after 10 straight years of Fredonia women taking home the brass.
While Bartlett's confidence was shaken following the SUNYAC meet, she responded in All-America fashion. She finished fifth in the 1-meter and third in the 3-meter at the NCAA zone meet to earn a spot on the national deck. Then she exceeded all her previous post-season performances.
"It was so easy for me to go to nationals last year, and this year I had to really work for it," she said prior to nationals. "The only thing I'm thinking about is having fun. My goal was just to make it back to nationals no matter how good or bad I do there. I really don't care, just because I'm so happy I can go back. I'd love to do well, and I'm going to try my best to do well, but it doesn't matter that much. I'm not going to be disappointed in myself if I don't do as well as I did last year."
