The Gophers' Sarah Bacon, a junior from Indianapolis, won her second consecutive title in 1-meter diving on Thursday with a score of 363.20 at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Austin, Texas. Her points total broke a 12-year-old NCAA record.
"Two shoulder surgeries, mental struggles with the sport, a lot of doubt, and lots of frustrations to get to this point," Bacon tweeted last month, with a hashtag of "#NotDoneYet.
Mackenzie Padington and Chantal Nack of the Gophers swam in the 500 freestyle final, placing third (4:35.21) and fifth (4:35.88), respectively. Padington's time was a program record. The team's 400 medley relay finished seventh (3:29.94).
U signs top JC hitter
Airi Miyabe of Southern Idaho signed a national letter of intent with the Gophers volleyball team on Wednesday. She was the National Junior College Athletic Association's Division I Player of the Year after leading the Golden Eagles (31-2) to a national title last November. The 6-0 sophomore outside hitter from Osaka, Japan, averaged 4.3 kills and 2.9 digs per set.
Gophers land OT
The Gophers added a fifth member to their 2020 football recruiting class. Offensive tackle Casey Collier out of Mont Belvieu, Texas, announced he was committing to Minnesota on Twitter. He is 6-6, 300 pounds, attends Barbers Hill High School and is a three-star recruit.
Megan Ryan
Etc.
• The No. 20 Gophers softball team (19-9) opens its Big Ten season at Maryland (16-12) at 5 p.m. Friday
• The Gophers baseball team (5-13) plays its first Big Ten series, against Penn State (13-3) in State College, Pa., this weekend.
