Herrera National Runner-Up at NCAA Championships

INDIANAPOLIS – Junior Briadam Herrera continued his sparkling postseason run Friday night at the IU Natatorium, finishing as the national runner-up in the 3-meter springboard at the 2017 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships.

The All-America recognition was the second in as many nights for Herrera, who captured a fifth-place finish in the final of the 1-meter Thursday to open his run at the NCAA Championships.

It was the fourth time in Herrera’s career he finished in the top eight to be named an All-American.

Herrera was dominant once again Friday, finishing first in the morning’s preliminary round and scoring an impressive 477.30 points in the night’s final for second place.

Steele Johnson of Purdue, who was a silver medalist at last year’s Olympics, won the event with a score of 502.50.

“It was a fantastic night,” head coach Randy Ableman said. “Briadam was completely and totally on his game. He got off to a great start and put the pressure on a couple of guys who won medals in the Olympics.”

Herrera’s top-scoring dive was a forward 2 1/2 somersault, two-twist pike that earned him 88.40 points, in the third round.

 “He had a chance to win but didn’t quite pull it off,” Ableman said. “Just a fantastic night. “Briadam was 100 percent on his game, it’s the best he has ever dived.”

Ableman said Herrera’s mindset is what separates him from many of the nation’s top divers.

“But what is cool about Briadam is he wasn’t completely satisfied. As a coach, that’s a beautiful thing, to have the performance of your life, win a silver medal in the strongest field ever at the NCAA Championships and still feel like he should have done better. I love that.

“That’s what I mean when I say he has the heart of a warrior. He wants to win. He continues to get better.”

Redshirt freshman David Dinsmore will cap Miami’s run at the 2017 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships on Saturday when he competes in the 10-meter platform.