Utah Swim & Dive: Freshman only second Ute male to earn NCAA berth

| The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Mar 17 2013 11:28 pm • Last Updated Mar 17 2013 11:28 pm

Colorado Springs, Colo. - Utah freshman Josiah Purss made history Friday by becoming only the second male diver in school history to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

Purss placed eighth in the 3-meter dive at the NCAA Zone Diving Championships. His scores, combined with Thursday’s fourth-place finish, were enough to qualify for the finals March 28 in Indianapolis, Ind.

"It’s extremely exciting to have another team member heading to Indy for NCAAs," Utah’s interim swimming and dive coach Richard Marschner said. "Our team is alive and well and is competing with a chip on its shoulder."

Senior Brandon Stoppelmoor and freshman Jacob Crayne placed 15th and 16th, respectively.

On the women’s side, Ute sophomore Kersten Merry finished in ninth place among the 1-meter divers, her second top-10 finish of the championships.

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