COLUMBUS, Ohio - Following the conclusion of the women's NCAA Diving Championships, University of Hawai`i women's diver Emma Friesen was named one of the three Tri-Divers of the Year, announced by the NCAA, along with Chelsea Davis of Ohio State and Brittany Viola of Miami.

The voting for the NCAA Diver of the Year was split evenly between the three individual diving champions of the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships so they named them "NCAA Tri-Divers of the Year."

This is the first time that a Hawai`i diver has ever been honored as an NCAA Diver of the Year. Vince Panzano of Ohio State was named Women's Diving Coach of the Year.

Friesen was the high-point diver of the NCAA's as she scored 33 team points for Hawai`i. Those 33 points placed UH in 26th place in the Women's NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships.

Looking at just the team points scored by divers, UH was the 4th place team as Ohio State was first with 85 points, Texas had 57 points, Stanford had 36 points, and Hawai`i.

Friesen ends a spectacular year with an NCAA Championship and a WAC Championship under her belt. The sophomore, from North Vancouver, British Columbia, also set a school record in the 1-meter with a score of 336.20.

-UH-