Hurricanes Earn All-America Honorable Mention Honors on Three-Meter
March 17, 2006
<?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>ATHENS, Ga. – University of Miami divers Heather Bounds and Melanie Rinaldi earned All-American Honorable Mention honors after finishing among the Top-16 in the preliminaries of the 3-meter springboard at the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships Friday afternoon. The three-day championship meet is being held in the Gabrielsen Natatorium on the campus of the University of Georgia. <?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
Bounds, a junior out of Austin, Texas, was the Hurricanes’ top finisher on the three-meter with a personal-best score of 305.55 for 12th place.
“For a second day in a row Heather turned in her best performance ever,” said head coach Randy Ableman.
Rinaldi, who finished 16th on the one-meter Thursday, garnered her second Honorable Mention All-America honor by finishing 14th on the 3-meter with a score of 300.10.
“Melanie did a solid job,” continued Ableman. “I’m proud of both of them especially of the fact that they were named All-America.”
The top eight finishers from the morning’s preliminaries advance to the evening’s finals. Student-athletes who finish among the top eight are named All-America. Those who place anywhere from ninth to 16th place are designated All-America Honorable Mention.
“Heather has the 10-meter event tomorrow,” Ableman said. “The fact that she’s been diving so well on the springboard bodes well for her chances at a championship on the platform.”
The Hurricanes will conclude action at the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships with the 10-meter platform Saturday. Preliminaries will begin at 11:00 a.m. with finals slated to start at 7:00 p.m.
