ATLANTA – She did it again.

Senior diver Chiara Pellacani began the final meet of her college career in style Thursday evening, defending her 1-meter national title by the slimmest of margins and earning her place in the Miami Hurricanes record books.

Pellacani (345.70) edged second-place finisher Sophie Verzyl (345.45) of South Carolina by just a quarter of a point in an NCAA Championships finale that came down to the very last dive at the McAuley Aquatic Center.

Her fifth dive in the finals –a reverse 1 ½ somersault with 1 ½ twists – was Pellacani’s top-scoring individual effort, but each of her six dives scored more than 52 points in an impressive display of consistency.

“It’s a little crazy. I also practice for this. When I’m competing, I just try to enjoy it so much…we compete against each other, but we’re all friends,” Pellacani said of the intensity of the night’s finals. “It’s always so fun.”

Pellacani became the first Miami diver to win multiple national titles in a UM career since Brittany Viola (2008, 2011). The Italy native is the first UM diver to win NCAA Championships in back-to-back years since Jenny Keim (1999, 2000), and the first to defend a national title on the same board since Rio Ramirez, who won three straight 1-meter NCAA diving titles (1997-1999).

Ramirez now serves on Miami’s coaching staff.

“I can’t even describe it, it’s so special” Pellacani said. “It’s my last year, it’s really important to me and of course, for the school…[Miami] did a lot for me.

“It’s nice, in a way, to give back.”

In addition to Pellacani, veteran Margo O’Meara finished in sixth place with a score of 311.80. It was O’Meara’s third first-team All-America honor on the 1-meter and the second for Pellacani.

Both qualified with impressive performances during the 1-meter preliminaries, where the pair were two of only eight to qualify for the finals in a field of more than 50 competitors.

Pellacani was second in the prelims (306.40), while O’Meara was fifth (295.60).

Pellacani had her top dive in prelims  (54.60) on a reverse 1 ½ somersault with 1 ½ twists. O’Meara, in her first season at The U, scored 54.00 on her first dive – an inward 1 ½ somersault from pike – to set the tone for her first day of competition.

In addition to the impressive performances on the boards, sophomore swimmer Ashlyn Massey finished with a time of 52.07 in the 100-yard butterfly. Massey was competing in her second straight NCAA Championships.

The 2026 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships continue Friday from Atlanta.