Gillis Advances To Finals
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Arkansas sophomore diver Nicole Gillis has advanced to the 1-meter diving finals on the opening day of competition at the 2016 Southeastern Conference Championships in Columbia, Missouri at the Mizzou Aquatic Center.
After scoring 28.80 points in the first round of the 1-meter diving preliminaries, Gillis put together a major comeback. Behind five strong dives, she climbed up the leaderboard from 38th to sixth where she finished with a score of 283.50.
“Nicole had an exceptional day, putting into place what we’ve been working on – the never-give-up attitude,” Arkansas diving coach Jeff DiNicola said. “It was an exciting thing to watch and be a part of. That never-give-up spirit and next-level effort is what made her able to come back and be competitive in the next five rounds.”
In addition, seniors Shelby Bartlett and Hannah Bortnick finished 24th (236.45) and 33rd (227.90), respectively.
The finals are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. tonight. The Razorbacks will also compete in the 200 medley and 800 freestyle relays, beginning at 6:15 p.m.
