Liberty's Chennault, Freece Selected to Compete in NCAA Zone Championships

Liberty freshman Maddie Freece and junior Lauren Chennault have been selected to compete in the 2021 NCAA Division I Zone Diving Championships.

The 2021 NCAA Zone Diving Championships will be hosted March 11-13 at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, N.C.

Chennault has earned her third career selection to the Zone Championships, while Freece will be the fourth Liberty freshman all-time to compete at Zones. Chennault, Abigail Egolf-Jensen and Olivia Robinson all competed at the meet as freshmen. All three of those divers were selected last year, but Chennault was unable to compete.  

Freece was named the 2021 Most Outstanding Diver of the CCSA Championship Meet, winning both one-meter and three-meter diving. Her winning score of 293.15 on one-meter set a new program record, while she scored 297.50 to claim the victory in three-meter diving.

A native of Lansdale, Pa., Freece became the first Lady Flame in program history to win three-meter diving at the CCSA Championships. She ranks second on Liberty's all-time top 10 list in three-meter springboard (297.50).

Chennault was the 2020 Co-Most Outstanding Diver of the CCSA Championships. She has made the podium in both one-meter and three-meter diving in all three conference meets in which she has competed.

She scored a season-high 270.10 on three-meter diving at the 2021 CCSA Championships, finishing third. Chennault then scored 269.15 on one-meter in finishing second to Freece for the conference title. The Coppell, Texas, native is Liberty's three-meter diving record holder (317.85) and second in one-meter diving (291.15).

There will be 35 total divers at the meet. The top five finishers on one-meter springboard and top six finishers on three-meter springboard will qualify for the 2021 NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships, which will take place March 17-20 in Greensboro, N.C.

Swimming selections for the 2021 NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships will be made on Wednesday by noon. Liberty's Payton Keiner is on the bubble, and will find out on Wednesday whether she has made the field in the 200 backstroke.