Monday, March 9
Annapolis, Md.
All Day
Rutgers University
at
NCAA Zone A Championships
Scarlet Knights Head to NCAA Zone A Diving Championships
Mar 06 | Women's Swimming & Diving
Event is Monday-Wednesday
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers will have five divers competing in the NCAA Zone Diving Championships, which will take place from March 9-11. Sephora Ford, Katerina Hoffman, Bailee Sturgill, Gianna Lawrence and Madilyn Varnum will head to Annapolis to compete, with the competition hosted by Navy at Lejeune Hall from Monday through Wednesday.
The meet will determine the zone's 2026 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships qualifiers. Live results from the meet are available at DiveMeets.com, For NCAA Qualification, Zone A will have six eligible spots in the 1-Meter and the Platform, with five spots on the 3-Meter.
Live video will be available through the Navy Athletics Facebook page.
Schedule of Events
Monday is the 1-Meter. 93 divers are entered in the competition. Rutgers will be represented by Sephora Ford, Katerina Hoffman, Bailee Sturgill and Madilyn Varnum. Prelims are at 10:30 am and 3:15 pm, with finals taking place at 6:15 pm.
Tuesday is the 3-Meter. 70 divers are entered in the competition. Rutgers will be represented by Sephora Ford, Katerina Hoffman, Bailee Sturgill, Gianna Lawrence and Madilyn Varnum. Prelims are at 10:30 am and 2:45 pm, with finals at 5:15 pm.
Wednesday is the Platform Diving. 19 divers are set to compete in the Platform. Four of them are Scarlet Knights: Sephora Ford, Katerina Hoffman, Bailee Sturgill and Gianna Lawrence. Prelims start at 11 a.m., followed by finals.
Overall, Ford, Hoffman and Sturgill will compete in all three events. Madilyn Varnum will compete on 1M and 3M, while Gianna Lawrence will compete on 3M and Platform.
Rutgers at Big Ten Championships
Rutgers diving excelled at the Big Ten Championships, with six podium finishes. Sephora Ford had the top finish of RU's divers, placing sixth on the platform. RU had two podium finishers on the 1M and 3M dives. On the 1M, Bailee Sturgill placed seventh and Katerina Hoffman placed eighth. On the 3M, Katerina Hoffman placed seventh and Sephora Ford placed eighth.
Previously at NCAA Zones
Rutgers was the host of the Zone Championships last year, with a successful week seeing four Scarlet Knight divers head to the NCAA Championships. Bailee Sturgill won the title on the Platform, while Katerina Hoffman won on the 3M, with those two qualifying for NCAAs alongside Sephora Ford and graduated diver Holly Prasanto. Rutgers has sent a diver to the NCAA Championships in four straight years.
Rutgers Diving This Season
Rutgers was ranked eighth nationally in the most recent US PDCA Poll unveiled, as well as at the top of the team champ power rankings.
Rutgers previously competed at the site of the Zone A Diving Championships, Lejeune Hall, back in November at the Navy Invite. The divers excelled at the venue with three first place finishes, with Ford taking the crown in the 3-Meter and the Platform, while Hoffman was first on the 1-Meter.
Ford, a team captain, also won the Platform Diving at the Minnesota Invite. Hoffman won the Rutgers Platform Invite and the 1M Dive both against Nebraska and in the season opener. Sturgill won the Platform and 3M Dive against La Salle and won the 3M at Princeton, earning her Big Ten Diver of the week platitudes.
Rutgers Top-10 Marks
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
The meet will determine the zone's 2026 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships qualifiers. Live results from the meet are available at DiveMeets.com, For NCAA Qualification, Zone A will have six eligible spots in the 1-Meter and the Platform, with five spots on the 3-Meter.
Live video will be available through the Navy Athletics Facebook page.
Schedule of Events
Monday is the 1-Meter. 93 divers are entered in the competition. Rutgers will be represented by Sephora Ford, Katerina Hoffman, Bailee Sturgill and Madilyn Varnum. Prelims are at 10:30 am and 3:15 pm, with finals taking place at 6:15 pm.
Tuesday is the 3-Meter. 70 divers are entered in the competition. Rutgers will be represented by Sephora Ford, Katerina Hoffman, Bailee Sturgill, Gianna Lawrence and Madilyn Varnum. Prelims are at 10:30 am and 2:45 pm, with finals at 5:15 pm.
Wednesday is the Platform Diving. 19 divers are set to compete in the Platform. Four of them are Scarlet Knights: Sephora Ford, Katerina Hoffman, Bailee Sturgill and Gianna Lawrence. Prelims start at 11 a.m., followed by finals.
Overall, Ford, Hoffman and Sturgill will compete in all three events. Madilyn Varnum will compete on 1M and 3M, while Gianna Lawrence will compete on 3M and Platform.
Rutgers at Big Ten Championships
Rutgers diving excelled at the Big Ten Championships, with six podium finishes. Sephora Ford had the top finish of RU's divers, placing sixth on the platform. RU had two podium finishers on the 1M and 3M dives. On the 1M, Bailee Sturgill placed seventh and Katerina Hoffman placed eighth. On the 3M, Katerina Hoffman placed seventh and Sephora Ford placed eighth.
Previously at NCAA Zones
Rutgers was the host of the Zone Championships last year, with a successful week seeing four Scarlet Knight divers head to the NCAA Championships. Bailee Sturgill won the title on the Platform, while Katerina Hoffman won on the 3M, with those two qualifying for NCAAs alongside Sephora Ford and graduated diver Holly Prasanto. Rutgers has sent a diver to the NCAA Championships in four straight years.
Rutgers Diving This Season
Rutgers was ranked eighth nationally in the most recent US PDCA Poll unveiled, as well as at the top of the team champ power rankings.
Rutgers previously competed at the site of the Zone A Diving Championships, Lejeune Hall, back in November at the Navy Invite. The divers excelled at the venue with three first place finishes, with Ford taking the crown in the 3-Meter and the Platform, while Hoffman was first on the 1-Meter.
Ford, a team captain, also won the Platform Diving at the Minnesota Invite. Hoffman won the Rutgers Platform Invite and the 1M Dive both against Nebraska and in the season opener. Sturgill won the Platform and 3M Dive against La Salle and won the 3M at Princeton, earning her Big Ten Diver of the week platitudes.
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
Diving
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
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