Story and photo by Katie Mucci
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Hope College's Sarah Sheridan closed out her college diving career on a high note, winning the NCAA Division III 3-meter national championship with a score of 478.40 Saturday night at the Greensboro Aquatic Center.
The senior from Richmond, Indiana (Richmond HS) earned the College Swimming Coaches' Association of America Diver of the Meet award after finishing with two top three performances and All-American honors.
Sheridan is the first diving national champion for Hope College in both the men's or women's program. She ends her college career with six All-American performances, three on each board.
"I was trying not to keep my coach too serious through the whole thing, but it was just great to dive with this group of girls," Sheridan said. "It's kind of amazing to think that that is how we ended."
This also marks the first women's national championship for Hope since 2001 when Betsy VandenBerg won the 200 breaststroke and the first national championship for either gender since 2002 when Josh Boss won the same event.
Click here for Hope's individual national champions in women's swimming & diving.
"She represents Hope College with the utmost class and it couldn't have happened to a better person," said diving coach Zach Golin, who was named CSCAA Diving Coach of the Year after the meet. "We're absolutely thrilled to have Hope College in the spotlight and thrilled for her performance."
In the early session, Sheridan posted a score of 448.40 to finish in fourth place. She began with dives of 40.5, 38.95 and 38.85 to kick off the competition and sat near the top of the standings. In the 24 diver field, Sheridan never fell lower than fifth place through the rounds, and moved as high as first.
Her highest mark in the morning rounds came in the eighth round as she threw an inward 2 ½ somersault tuck for 52.65 points.
Sheridan carried over 183.65 points from her voluntaries into the evening competition. She posted three dives over 50 points, including her highest mark of the day, 58.80 on her fifth dive.
Sheridan finished just ahead of the 2015 national champion, Maura Sticco-Ivins of Wellesley College, who finished the meet with a score of 470.55. Meghan Bartlett of SUNY Fredonia took third with a mark of 454.45 and Anna Belson of Ithaca College took fourth (448.45).
Sheridan finished second to Sticco-Ivins on the 3-meter board in last year's national meet.
"I couldn't be more proud of her and the work she's put in to get to this point," Golin said. "She's been so close every year and to go out as a senior and put together one of the best meets she's ever had is a story book ending."
Sheridan concludes her Hope career with finishes of first, second and seventh in 3-meter diving and third, third and seventh in 1-meter diving.
The Flying Dutch finished 21st in the team standings with 36 points — all belonging to Sheridan, the only qualifier.
"I love my school and I love my team," Sheridan said. "It's just exciting to be here and to be competing even now for them and to put Hope's name in the books."
Click here to read more about Golin's coaching recognition.
