Rutgers Diving Gears Up for Final Tune-Up Ahead of Big Ten Championships
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The platform is set, the stakes are rising, and Rutgers diving is ready to put on a show this Saturday at the Rutgers Aquatics Center. The Scarlet Knights are hosting the Rutgers Platform Invitational, a diving-only event that kicks off at 11 a.m. and features a focused slate of high-flying competition. Fans can follow the action and scores live at DiveMeets.com.
This isn’t a multi-day, multi-discipline meet - it’s all about the platform. One event.
One stage. And for Rutgers, one more chance to sharpen their form before the Big Ten Championships later this month.
On the women’s side, 12 divers are slated to compete, with six Scarlet Knights representing the home team: Sephora Ford, Katerina Hoffman, Gianna Lawrence, Amelia Scott, Bailee Sturgill, and Madilyn Varnum. They’ll be going head-to-head with a talented field that includes Princeton’s Vivian Brennan, Liv Davidson, Charlotte Norman, and Maggie Squire, as well as UMass standouts Danielle Guerin and Khrystyna Yaremyn.
Rutgers enters the weekend with serious momentum. The Scarlet Knights are ranked eighth nationally in the latest US PDCA Coaches Poll, released back in December.
But it’s the power rankings - which factor in performances across dual meets and invitationals - that really tell the story. Rutgers sits fourth in the nation and third in the Big Ten, and they currently lead the team champ power rankings.
That’s no small feat, especially in a conference stacked with diving talent.
Individually, Sephora Ford has been the standout. She’s currently ranked third nationally - and first among all Big Ten divers - in the platform power rankings.
Her resume this season includes two platform victories, taking home top honors at both the Navy and Minnesota Invitationals. Her 317.7 score at Navy wasn’t just a win - it was historic, ranking as the second-best platform score in Rutgers history.
Ford isn’t the only Scarlet Knight making waves on the platform. Bailee Sturgill’s 313.45 ranks third all-time at Rutgers, while Katerina Hoffman (273.65) and Amelia Scott (238.80) sit comfortably in the program’s top 10. That kind of depth gives Rutgers a real edge, not just this weekend, but heading into championship season.
Saturday’s invitational marks the final competition before the Big Ten Championships, which will be held at the University of Minnesota from February 18-21. It’s the last chance for the Scarlet Knights to fine-tune their dives, build confidence, and make one more statement before the lights get even brighter.
With Ford leading the charge and a squad full of top-tier talent behind her, Rutgers is looking to turn a strong season into something special. The platform is theirs this weekend - and they’re ready to own it.