Elevating Excellence: Inside Colorado State University’s Journey

RIVERSIDE, Calif.  – Being in the open air presented no difficulty for Riley Lee, who excelled on the inaugural day of the Lancers Diving Invitational at California Baptist.

The rookie from California led the reduced Colorado State squad at the event, which commenced on the 3-meter springboard. Lee achieved a score of 240.05, slightly below her seasonal best in a field of 31 competitors. This score was sufficient to qualify her for the finals, where she finished in 11^th place with an enhanced score of 245.30.

“I believed the meet went exceedingly well for Riley Lee. She maintained a high level of consistency in her diving series, averaging fives and sixes across most of her attempts,” remarked CSU diving coach Chris Bergere. “Riley is accustomed to diving outdoors in California, where the elements and sunlight can have a considerable impact. She remained very composed, and the weather was not a significant concern for her. It was indeed a very windy day; the Santa Ana wind is currently a notable factor in California.”

The Rams had only two out of four divers compete (the remaining two were withdrawn for various reasons), with Makenna Post securing a score of 177.90. As anticipated by Bergere, the conditions were a new challenge for her as she strives to execute more difficult dives to expand her repertoire.

The scores will be factored into the competition when the swimmers face off against San Diego and San Diego State on Saturday, with Lee’s score currently ranking third overall, while Post’s score is seventh.

The competition carries on tomorrow as the divers shift to the platform tower, with the preliminary round set to start at 12 p.m. (MT).