April 10, 2000
Tempe, Ariz. - Arizona State divers Marc Briggs, Natalie Burgess and Trish Malatesta earned spots in the upcoming U.S. National Indoor Championships by virtue of strong showings at the Zone D Senior Championships in Tucson, Ariz., April 7-9.
Briggs, ASU's first male diving All-American since 1983, won the one-meter event in Tucson with a total of 619.85 points. The junior rounded out a stellar zone meet by finishing fourth on the three-meter springboard (515.05) and fifth in platform action at 428.05.
Malatesta, a junior, placed second in the women's platform competition (403.65), while fellow junior Burgess qualified with a 416.45, sixth place showing on the one-meter board.
The U.S. National Indoor Championships take place April 17-22 at the University Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, Minn. The top 12 finishers in both Olympic events, the three-meter springboard and 10-meter platform, will automatically advance to the 2000 Olympic trials June 20-25 in Seattle, Wash. In addition, divers at the Indoor Championships will be competing for 56 open slots on the 2000 U.S. National Team.