March 12, 2009
AUSTIN, Texas - San Diego State diver Alex Barstad made history on Thursday as she became the first Aztec to advance to the finals of the NCAA Zone E regional diving meet being contested in Austin Texas, this weekend. Her success came in the three-meter event that was held on the first day of the competition.
The initial field of 45 divers was made up of athletes from schools in the Pac-10, Western Athletic Conference, Big West and West Coast Conference in addition to the Mountain West Conference.
Barstad scored a 259.70 in the prelims to finish among the top 18 scores and move into the finals. She then scored a 261.25 on her next six dives to finish with a score of 520.95, good for 11th place at the conclusion of the three-meter event. The junior, who transferred to SDSU after two seasons Minnesota, is the first member of the Aztecs squad to move past the prelims at a zone meet.
Barstad initially qualified for the Zone E competition when she scored a 267.89 in the one-meter diving competition at TCU on Jan. 17. Three weeks later she set a personal best with a 288.20 in the three-meter in the Aztecs' meet against University of San Diego on Feb. 7 to reaffirm her credentials for the regionals.
She will continue action at the Zone E meet with the one-meter diving on Friday (March 13) and will also compete in the platform diving event which will be held on Saturday March 14).