Three Divers To Compete at NCAA Championships
Mar 18 | Women's Swimming & Diving
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Three Rutgers divers have qualified to compete at the NCAA Championships this week. Katerina Hoffman, Bailee Sturgill and Sephora Ford will be in action, with NCAA diving competition starting this Thursday in Atlanta, Georgia, hosted by Georgia Tech.
Diving competition will be held Thursday-Saturday. Bailee Sturgill qualified to compete on all three boards – 1M, 3M and Platform. Katerina Hoffman will compete on 1M and 3M, while Sephora Ford will compete on Platform.
The 1M will be first on Thursday. Friday is the 3M, and Saturday is Platform. Each day will feature prelims at 10 am and finals at 6 pm, with RU having two divers competing each day. All sessions will be streamed live on ESPN+. Results will be available via DiveMeets.com.
Rutgers divers qualified for the NCAA Championships with a strong overall performance at the NCAA Zone A Diving, held last week at Navy. Katerina Hoffman placed first at the zone in the 1M and 3M, while Sephora Ford topped the leaderboard on platform. Bailee Sturgill placed second, third and fourth to qualify in all events.
Katerina Hoffman had two podium finishes at Big Ten Championships (seventh in 3M and eighth in 1M). She also has three first place finishes on 1M this year, placing first against Nebraska, at the Navy Invite and the opening meet against Fordham and St. Bonaventure. Last season, she qualified for NCAAs on all three boards, and was a Big Ten consolation finalist on 1M and 3M.
Bailee Sturgill was a Big Ten Diver to Watch this season coming off a Big Ten All-Freshman season last year, qualifying for NCAAs last year in all three boards as well, and being a Big Ten finalist on 1M and Platform. This season, she has two wins on the 3-Meter, a Platform crown, and a Big Ten Diver of the week accolade after her performance against Princeton.
Sephora Ford is set for the final meet of her career. A native of Sheffield, England, she is a team captain this season, and had two podium finishes at the Big Ten Championships, including a sixth place finish on the Platform that was RU's highest Big Ten podium finish this season. She also won the Platform event this season at the Minnesota Invitational.
Last season, Rutgers sent four divers to compete at the NCAA Championships, with this year's trio joined by senior Holly Prasanto. Hoffman and Sturgill competed on all three boards, with Ford competing on 3M and Platform. Ford earned Second Team All-American honors on Platform, qualifying for consolation finals and placing 15th overall. RU has had an All-American on the boards in four of the past five years.
2014 - Nicole Scott – Platform (Second Team)
2016 - Alyssa Black – 3M Diving (Second Team)
2017 - Alyssa Black – 3M Diving (Second Team)
2018 - Addison Walkowiak – 1M Diving (Second Team)
2021 - Abigail Knapton – Platform (First Team)
2022 - Abigail Knapton - 3M Diving (Second Team)
2024 - Holly Prasanto - 1M Diving (Second Team)
2025 - Sephora Ford – Platform (Second Team)
Among current student-athletes:
Name Score Year
1. Addison Walkowiak 340.25 2018
2. Alyssa Black 314.85 2015
3. Abigail Knapton 313.13 2021
4. Holly Prasanto 313.00 2025
5. Giulia Vittorioso 312.55 2022
6. Katerina Hoffman 310.65 2024
7. Savana Trueb 310.10 2022
8. Erin Saunders 302.70 2009
9. Bailee Sturgill 297.30 2024
10. Nicole Scott 296.92 2012
3-Meter Diving (6 Dives)
Name Score Year
1. Addison Walkowiak 369.05 2018
2. Abigail Knapton 359.10 2022
3. Katerina Hoffman 356.45 2025
4. Holly Prasanto 353.55 2022
5. Alyssa Black 352.43 2017
6. Amelia Scott 350.86 2025
7. Nicole Scott 342.95 2014
8. Bailee Sturgill 337.73 2025
9. Sephora Ford 332.03 2026
10. Jennifer Betz 329.80 2011
Platform Diving (5 Dives)
Name Score Year
1. Abigail Knapton 333.25 2022
2. Sephora Ford 317.70 2025
3. Bailee Sturgill 313.45 2025
4. Savana Trueb 295.60 2021
5. Nicole Scott 295.10 2014
6. Addison Walkowiak 290.95 2018
7. Giulia Vittorioso 278.25 2023
8. Katerina Hoffman 273.65 2024
9. Rachel Byrne 265.90 2018
10. Amelia Scott 238.80 2026
Diving competition will be held Thursday-Saturday. Bailee Sturgill qualified to compete on all three boards – 1M, 3M and Platform. Katerina Hoffman will compete on 1M and 3M, while Sephora Ford will compete on Platform.
The 1M will be first on Thursday. Friday is the 3M, and Saturday is Platform. Each day will feature prelims at 10 am and finals at 6 pm, with RU having two divers competing each day. All sessions will be streamed live on ESPN+. Results will be available via DiveMeets.com.
| About Rutgers |
Rutgers divers qualified for the NCAA Championships with a strong overall performance at the NCAA Zone A Diving, held last week at Navy. Katerina Hoffman placed first at the zone in the 1M and 3M, while Sephora Ford topped the leaderboard on platform. Bailee Sturgill placed second, third and fourth to qualify in all events.
Katerina Hoffman had two podium finishes at Big Ten Championships (seventh in 3M and eighth in 1M). She also has three first place finishes on 1M this year, placing first against Nebraska, at the Navy Invite and the opening meet against Fordham and St. Bonaventure. Last season, she qualified for NCAAs on all three boards, and was a Big Ten consolation finalist on 1M and 3M.
Bailee Sturgill was a Big Ten Diver to Watch this season coming off a Big Ten All-Freshman season last year, qualifying for NCAAs last year in all three boards as well, and being a Big Ten finalist on 1M and Platform. This season, she has two wins on the 3-Meter, a Platform crown, and a Big Ten Diver of the week accolade after her performance against Princeton.
Sephora Ford is set for the final meet of her career. A native of Sheffield, England, she is a team captain this season, and had two podium finishes at the Big Ten Championships, including a sixth place finish on the Platform that was RU's highest Big Ten podium finish this season. She also won the Platform event this season at the Minnesota Invitational.
| NCAA History |
Last season, Rutgers sent four divers to compete at the NCAA Championships, with this year's trio joined by senior Holly Prasanto. Hoffman and Sturgill competed on all three boards, with Ford competing on 3M and Platform. Ford earned Second Team All-American honors on Platform, qualifying for consolation finals and placing 15th overall. RU has had an All-American on the boards in four of the past five years.
| Rutgers Diving All-Americans |
2014 - Nicole Scott – Platform (Second Team)
2016 - Alyssa Black – 3M Diving (Second Team)
2017 - Alyssa Black – 3M Diving (Second Team)
2018 - Addison Walkowiak – 1M Diving (Second Team)
2021 - Abigail Knapton – Platform (First Team)
2022 - Abigail Knapton - 3M Diving (Second Team)
2024 - Holly Prasanto - 1M Diving (Second Team)
2025 - Sephora Ford – Platform (Second Team)
| Rutgers top-10 Marks |
Among current student-athletes:
- Bailee Sturgill has three placements on RU's top-10 lists (second in platform, eighth in 3M and ninth in 1M).
- Katerina Hoffman is third on 3M, sixth on 1M and eighth on platform.
- Sephora Ford is second on platform and ninth on 3M.
Name Score Year
1. Addison Walkowiak 340.25 2018
2. Alyssa Black 314.85 2015
3. Abigail Knapton 313.13 2021
4. Holly Prasanto 313.00 2025
5. Giulia Vittorioso 312.55 2022
6. Katerina Hoffman 310.65 2024
7. Savana Trueb 310.10 2022
8. Erin Saunders 302.70 2009
9. Bailee Sturgill 297.30 2024
10. Nicole Scott 296.92 2012
3-Meter Diving (6 Dives)
Name Score Year
1. Addison Walkowiak 369.05 2018
2. Abigail Knapton 359.10 2022
3. Katerina Hoffman 356.45 2025
4. Holly Prasanto 353.55 2022
5. Alyssa Black 352.43 2017
6. Amelia Scott 350.86 2025
7. Nicole Scott 342.95 2014
8. Bailee Sturgill 337.73 2025
9. Sephora Ford 332.03 2026
10. Jennifer Betz 329.80 2011
Platform Diving (5 Dives)
Name Score Year
1. Abigail Knapton 333.25 2022
2. Sephora Ford 317.70 2025
3. Bailee Sturgill 313.45 2025
4. Savana Trueb 295.60 2021
5. Nicole Scott 295.10 2014
6. Addison Walkowiak 290.95 2018
7. Giulia Vittorioso 278.25 2023
8. Katerina Hoffman 273.65 2024
9. Rachel Byrne 265.90 2018
10. Amelia Scott 238.80 2026
Players Mentioned
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