GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— Colorado Mesa University diver
Ammar Hassan began the 2018-19 season right where he left off as the defending and double NCAA Division II National Champion broke his own school-record on the 1-meter board to lead the Maverick swimming and diving squads in their season-opening meet on Friday evening in the El Pomar Natatorium.
Hassan scored 374.85 points on six dives to best the field of 14, which included 10 Division I divers, by nearly 80 points. The score broke his own school record of 369.50, set at last year's national championships, and already qualified him for the 2019 NCAA Division II National Championships.
The Egyptian's effort was one of ten new marks on the Mavericks' top 10 all-time charts set on opening day of the 2-day Intermountain Shootout, which will resume at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.
The Mavericks also combined for ten top-3 and 24 top-5 finishes throughout the evening against Division I foes.
As a team, the Maverick men trail BYU 127-61 and Air Force 121-67 in the dual-meet scores.
CMU's women trail Colorado State 112-75 and BYU 129-58 heading into Saturday.
The Mavs' top female effort came from Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Women's Diver of the Year
Brittany Dixon, who finished second on the 3-meter board with 255.00 points over six dives. Fellow returning all-American
Kelsey Vreeman placed fourth with 249.65 points while
Abby Smith took fifth at 241.40.
In the swimming events, the Maverick men got a second place finish from
Justin Fell in the 200-yard freestyle (1:44.65) and seven other third place finishes.
The first came from
Grace Payton,
Samantha White,
Danielle Jefferies and
Sierra Forbord in the 200 medley relay (1:47.74). Forbord then came back to take third in the 200 free in 1:55.77, one second ahead of fourth place
Maddie McClain (1:56.77). White also earned an individual third place finish, completing the 100 breast in 1:06.94.
Kennedy Bright was fifth in that event in 1:08.17 while
Ginger Bryant, a transfer from Division I Arkansas-Little Rock, finished sixth in 1:08.30 to move into the No. 8 spot on the Mavericks' all-time performers' chart.
Freshmen
Sarah Fillerup and
Lane Austin also made strong debuts in the 100 back events as each took over the No. 9 spots in program history. Fillerup finished fourth in the women's event with a time of 58.65 while Austin took third in the men's event at 52.26.
The Mavericks also fared well in the 50 fly events with Jefferies improving her No. 3 all-time position with a third place finish of 26.68. Forbord was fourth in in 26.82 while
Candice Rosen (27.09),
Robyn Naze (27.41) and
Logan Anderson (27.67) all moved into the top 10 of CMU history as well.
Spaniard
Pedro Terres Illescas finished third in the men's 50 fly with a time of 23.37 to take over the No. 6 spot on the Mavericks' all-time charts while
Morgan Bean (23.38), who holds down the No. 5 spot, took fourth in 23.38.
Jake Simmons finished eighth in 23.67 and is now ranked ninth in program history.
Torsten Rau (16:46.35) and
Jacob Dexter (16:59.17) also finished third and fourth in the 1,650 free.
Saturday's action will begin at 10:30 a.m.
