March 22, 2008

COLUMBUS, Ohio - University of Missouri junior Kendra Melnychuk one-upped Friday's 11th-place 3-meter performance with a 10th-place finish in Saturday's platform diving competition at the NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships. In addition to garnering All-America honors for the second time in as many days, the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, native now becomes the first men or women's diver in program history to finish in the top 10 at Nationals.

"After a rough start in prelims Kendra really pulled things together in consols," Mizzou Diving Coach Jamie Sweeney said. "This has been a very successful week for her. Coming into this, we were just hoping to get into the top 16 and she did that and then some. We're all very proud of what she's been able to do this week."

Melnychuk began prelims with a score of 56.00 on her first dive. Her next four dives received scores ranging from a low of 36.45 to a high of 65.25 for an overall tally of 251.25 points, good enough for 12th-place and a date in consolation finals.

With consols came consistency for Melnychuk in the afternoon session. After posting scores of 53.20, 48.60 and 46.40 on her first three dives, she then broke out for scores of 60.75 and 64.40 on her final pair of dives to finish second in the round and 10th overall with 273.35 points.

Melnychuk's Results by Round

Prelims 56.00 / 44.55 / 65.25 / 36.45 / 49.00 = 251.25

Consolation Finals 53.20 / 48.60 / 46.40 / 60.75 / 64.40 = 273.35