{"id":581503,"date":"2024-03-21T16:41:09","date_gmt":"2024-03-21T23:41:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=581503"},"modified":"2024-03-21T18:15:02","modified_gmt":"2024-03-22T01:15:02","slug":"ncaa-womens-championships-north-carolinas-aranza-vazquez-repeats-as-1-meter-champion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/ncaa-womens-championships-north-carolinas-aranza-vazquez-repeats-as-1-meter-champion\/","title":{"rendered":"NCAA Women’s Championships: North Carolina’s Aranza Vazquez Montano Repeats as 1-Meter Champion"},"content":{"rendered":"

NCAA Women’s Championships: North Carolina’s Aranza Vazquez Repeats as 1-Meter Champion<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

It has been a huge year for North Carolina senior Aranza Vazquez Montano<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Since she swept both springboards last year at the NCAA Championships, she has claimed international medals and is poised to be in the mix at the Paris Olympics.<\/p>\n

She kept that momentum going in the 1-meter diving on Day 2 of the NCAA Championships in Athens, Georgia.<\/p>\n

She surged into the lead after the third dive of finals. She threw down a 57.60 dive in round four to move her total to 221.90, still in the lead.<\/p>\n

In the fifth round, a 61.10 throwdown vaulted her to 283.00 and 16 points in the lead going into the final dive.<\/p>\n

On her final dive, Vazquez was even better, a 67.50 to give her a total of 350.50 and clinch another NCAA title.<\/p>\n

“It is incredible to me that I could do it again,” she said. “I knew nothing would be given to me and I really like that feeling of hitting my dives no matter what is going on around me. I really like gainers and my three last dives are gainers. I was feeling great in my hurdles. I just had to go for it.”<\/p>\n

Texas junior Hailey Hernandez<\/strong> had the top score after prelims, a 305.65, ahead of Vazquez (302.85).<\/p>\n

They were the only two divers in the field to best 300 points during NCAA prelims.<\/p>\n

Hernandez finished second overall with a 326.20 in the finals.<\/p>\n

USC’s Nike Agunbiade<\/strong> claimed third-place with a point total of 319.50.<\/p>\n

Vazquez will look to repeat on 3-meter as well.<\/p>\n

“Getting in my zone was something I was missing in the morning. I tried to keep too calm and that doesn’t work for me,” she said. “I really felt like myself this afternoon. Tomorrow I know in prelims I can’t get too calm like I did this morning. Those are the things you have to learn from. Tomorrow is definitely going to be a good day.”<\/p>\n