A fourth straight national title in 1-meter diving eluded the Gophers' Sarah Bacon, a sixth-year senior from Indianapolis, on Thursday night at the NCAA swimming and diving meet in Atlanta.
Instead she placed second with 356.60 points to junior Mia Vallee of Miami (365.75).
Bacon was hoping to become only the second diver to ever win four 1-meter national titles and the first to do it in four consecutive national meets (2018, '19, '21 and '22). The 2020 meet was canceled.
Bacon will try to win her second straight title on the 3-meter board on Friday.
U's Heise Kazmaier finalist
Gophers forward Taylor Heise, Minnesota Duluth forward Gabbie Hughes and Ohio State defenseman Sophie Jaques were named the three finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award, given annually to the top player in women's college hockey, the USA Hockey Foundation announced Thursday.
Heise, a senior from Lake City, Minn., leads the nation with 66 points and ranks second with 29 goals. She helped the Gophers win the WCHA regular-season championship and finish with a 29-9-1 record. The WCHA Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year, Heise had six game-winning goals, which is tied for third nationally.
Hughes, a senior from Lino Lakes, helped the Bulldogs reach their second consecutive Frozen Four by collecting 59 points (tied for third nationally) on 22 goals and 37 assists. She ranks second in the country with seven game-winning goals and is a finalist for the Hockey Humanitarian Award. Hughes had a hat trick in the Minneapolis Regional semifinal against Harvard and scored the winner in UMD's 2-1 victory over the Gophers in the regional final. The Bulldogs face Northeastern on Friday in the NCAA Frozen Four in State College, Pa.