The UIC Diving Invitational will bring the regular season to a close on Saturday.  The annual event, scheduled to begin at 11:00 am at UIC Natatorium, will feature divers from eight teams from around the region.

"I love this event because it's right before conference, and it really gives them a good idea of where they are and those little things that we need to tweak before conference," Susan Bromberg said.  "And it's at our home pool so everybody gets to come and watch.  Every year it seems we get more and more fans to come, so that's awesome."

New this year, a 3-meter synchronized diving event will be contested. 

Andrew Lewarchick is the defending men's champion on both 1-meter and 3-meter boards.  Ling Kuhn of Illinois, who won both women's events, has graduated.  Cydney Liebenberg finished second to Kuhn on both boards last year.

Last Time Out

• Felix LaFortune set the 1-meter school and pool record with a score of 350.05.  He also set a career high on the 3-meter board, 363.10, and swept first place for the fourth time.
• Cydney Liebenberg easily surpassed the NCAA Zone standards on both boards en route to her sixth straight sweep.
• Maya Molldrem qualified for Zones on the 1-meter board, scoring 275.30 and taking second place.

Flames to Watch

• LaFortune and Liebenberg are the three-time reigning Horizon League Divers of the Week.
• Molldrem has finished second behind her teammate in each of the last three meets in 1-meter competition.
• Abby Hellinga has increased her 1-meter score in each of the last two meets, culminating in a season high 236.65.
• Andrew Lewarchick has placed in the top two in 13 of his 16 outings.  He has already qualified for NCAA Zones on both boards.
• Ryan Murphy completed a Flames sweep in 1-meter diving last week with a career high 298.45.

Scouting the Competition

• Horizon League foes Green Bay and Milwaukee will compete.
• Jared Kleczka has the Panthers' top scores of the season.  Miles Rohrbaugh leads the Phoenix.
• On the women's side, McKenzie Sanchez and Patricia Crobin represent the teams' top divers.
• Wisconsin-Oshkosh will make a return appearance.  They are led by Danielle Tesky and Matt Wilke.
• Sarah Dalk and Dylan Glumac-Berberich have posted top scores for Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
• UChicago, which was part of the dual meet at UIC Natatorium last week, will return to the pool.  Andrew Chen, Elizabeth Cron, and Agnes Lo were the Maroon's top finishers.
• Two women-only programs, Illinois State and Illinois, will also compete.
• Redbird Caroline Lecoeur and the Illini's Taylor Shegos are those teams' high scorers.