CHICAGO, Illinois -- Kenyon's Katarina Ilic and Claire Fergusson concluded their time at the 2023 NCAA Division III Central Region Diving Championships, closing the second of two days at the University of Chicago's Myers-McLoraine Pool at the Ratner Athletics Center. The Owls' duo stepped up to the one-meter diving boards after taking their jumps from three meters up on day one.

Ilic improved upon yesterday's 19th-place finish by scoring 362.45 points to finish 14th in the field of 34. The junior averaged 32.95 points over 11 dives, and her best attempt resulted in a score of 40.25. Her high-water mark came on her eighth dive, a back 1 ½ somersault pike. That result made it back-to-back strong finishes after scoring 39.60 points with a forward 2 ½ somersault tuck on her seventh dive.

Fergusson, who tied for 26th in the three-meter iteration, slotted into 32nd in the one-meter standings. The junior surpassed the 30-point threshold on two of 11 dives, finishing with an average of 26.55. Her best results also came consecutively, scoring 36.30 points with an inward 1 ½ somersault tuck on her sixth attempt before a 31.90 tally on dive number seven, a forward 2 somersault tuck.

The diving duo could not crack the group of nine qualifiers allocated to the Central Region who receive spots in the NCAA DIII Swimming and Diving Championship. However, the Kenyon women's swimming and diving team will be looking to defend their 2022 NCAA Championship and extend their record with a 25th team title when they head to Greensboro, North Carolina, from March 15-18.