GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— Sophomore diver Kelsey Vreeman won the women's 3-meter while senior Sage D'Ambrosia booked his spot at the national championships on the men's 1-meter board to lead the Colorado Mesa University Mavericks on the first day of Mavericks' 2017-18 swimming and diving season, which started Friday at the Intermountain Shootout in the El Pomar Natatorium.
 
The Mavericks are hosting Division I foes Air Force, BYU and Colorado State in the 2-day meet that will resume Saturday 10:30 a.m.
 
Vreeman scored 243.90 points over six dives to win the 18-diver event by nearly 10 points.  She was named as the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Preseason Diver of the Year after earning all-America honors with a sixth place finish at last year's NCAA Division II National Championships.
 
Meanwhile, D'Ambrosia scored 289.65 points to take fourth behind three BYU divers, who all reached the NCAA Division I qualifying standard.  An all-American in each of the last two years, D'Ambrosia is now assured of a trip to nationals for the fourth straight season.
 
In the swimming events, the Mavericks had eight top-5 finishes, including a runner-up finish by Chris Radomski in the men's 50-yard butterfly, who touched 22.72 seconds.  Sky Hirsch finished fifth in 23.18.  Meanwhile, Sierra Forbord tied for third in the women's 50 fly (25.79).
 
In the men's 1,650 free, the Mavericks received a fourth place finish from freshman Torsten Rau, who finished in 16:47.57.  Returning All-American Sam Bryant finished sixth in that event in 17:03.91.

Bryant and Radomski and Hirsch also teamed with Eric Berg to finish fourth in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:34.77.
 
The Mavericks' other fifth place finishes came from Danielle Jefferies in the 100 breaststroke (1:07.16), Hirsch in the 50 free (21.15) and Berg in the 100 back (53.04).
 
"We were tired from training tonight and have some things to clean up, but we had some really strong efforts from the newcomers and the returners alike," Maverick Coach Geoff Hanson said.
 
In the team standings, being calculated in dual-meet format, the Maverick men trail Air Force 145-40 and BYU 114-68.  The Maverick women trail Air Force 128 ½-59 ½, BYU 128-60 and Colorado State 133-55.