Freshman Justin Huttenlocher knew his first appearance in the NCAA Region 1 Diving Championship would be a learning experience. It was indeed that during Saturday's 1-meter event in Granville, Ohio.

After a strong first day on Friday on the 3-meter board where he placed 10th out of 21 divers, his performance tailed off Saturday and he finished last among 21 divers.

"The tough thing for a freshman is coming in and competing at a really high calibre, especially when they have the ability to do so," said assistant diving coach Robert Rariden. "It came down to him having a bad dive and never being able to get it back. In the grand scheme he didn't have any really bad dives but he just really didn't hit anything. You can tell this happens as kids make the transition to the next level, especially when you're good enough to qualify for the next level. The fact that Justin made regionals as a freshman is an accomplishment in and of itself and he's handled himself really well. And that's what will set him up for success in the future."