Sports
 

Trio of divers aim for NCAAs

Almazan, Kiess, Gitelson will compete for UH at NCAA Zone D Regionals at CRWC

Cougar Sports Services

Though they have carried the Cougars for most of the season, Houston's dynamic young trio will be competing for themselves when the UH swimming and diving team hosts the NCAA Zone D Diving Championships this weekend at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Natatorium. 

The top six female divers and the top five male divers on the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards and the platform will earn a trip to College Station. 

The Zone D Diving meet begins at 11 a.m. Friday with the women's 1-meter competition. The men will perform on the 3-meter springboard, beginning around 4 p.m.

On Saturday, the two groups will reverse with the men competing on the 1-meter board at 11 a.m. and the women taking part on the 3-meter board at 4 p.m.

The platform competition will wrap up the tournament at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Houston has become a home away from home for some of the top teams in the state; the Cougars hosted the Conference USA Women's Championship and Men's Invitational on Feb. 26-28.

Almazan, a native of Mexico City, was the 2004 C-USA Diver of the meet at the Invitational, winning the springboard and placing in both of her other events. Almazan won the C-USA Diver of the Week four times. 

Kiess captured both the C-USA 1-meter springboard and platform diving championships and was named C-USA Freshman Diver of the Year.

Both Almazan and Kiess qualified to compete in all three diving events at the Zone meet.

Gitelson, a freshman from Glendale, Ariz., qualified to compete in the 3-meter and platform diving events by virtue of her solid showing at the C-USA championships, where she posted her personal-best scores in both events.

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