University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
NCAA Division I Zone A Diving Qualfying Meet
Rappe, Upperco Finish Diving Season At NCAA Zone Regional Meet
March 12, 2006 | Women's Swimming & Diving
March 12, 2006
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Sophomore R.J. Rappe (Farmington, Minn.) and freshman Karen Upperco (Titusville, N.J.) concluded the 2005-06 diving season this weekend at the NCAA Zone A Regional Meet hosted by the U.S. Naval Academy. Rappe finished seventh overall on the one-meter board and 14th on the three-meter board, while Upperco finished 22nd and 29th, respectively.
The meet began on Friday with the women's one-meter trials and finals and the men's three-meter trials and finals. Upperco placed 22nd with a score of 199.30 points in the trials and did not advance to the final round. Rappe scored 269.25 points in the trials placing 15th and moved on to finish 14th overall with a 279.55 point effort in the finals giving him a total of 548.80 points for both rounds.
Saturday's action featured the women's three-meter trials and finals and the men's one-meter trials and finals. Upperco scored 198.25 points in the trials failing to move into the final round. Rappe scored 248.40 points for a 13th place finish in the trials. In the finals, he jumped up six spots to finish seventh overall with 290.60 points. He finished the one-meter dive with a combined score of 539.00 points.
In just her first season of diving, Upperco has established herself as one of the top divers in the Atlantic 10 Conference and in UMass school history. At the A-10 Conference Championships, she swept both the one-meter and three-meter boards. This was her first trip to the NCAA Regional Meet.
This was Rappe's second trip to the NCAA Regional Meet. As a freshman in 2005, Rappe placed 27th overall on the one-meter board failing to advance to the finals. He also finished 15th overall on the three-meter board. Earlier this season, he won the one-meter dive at the A-10 Conference Championships defending his 2005 title. As a freshman, he became the first-ever men's diver to win a diving event at the league meet.
The top two divers for each of the three events (one-meter, three-meter and platform) in each regional will advance to the NCAA Championship Meet.
