The UW-Eau Claire women’s swimming and diving team finished in a three-way tie for 36th place out of 50 teams at the NCAA Div. III National Swimming and Diving Championships on Feb. 8 through 10 in Buffalo, N.Y.

Senior Amber Perry represented the diving team in her third trip to the national competition. Perry took 14th place in the one-meter diving competition, but could not compete in the three-meter competition due to an injury.

“In the beginning (of the one-meter) I was a little shaky,” Perry said. “I improved as I moved up seven spots. I wasn’t too happy about my finish.”

During warm-ups for the three-meter competition, Perry reaggravated a neck injury she suffered two weeks before.

“When warming up for the three-meter, my head jerked to the side as I hit the water,” Perry said. “I strained all the muscles in my neck and threw my vertebrae out of line.”

Last year at nationals, Perry had a similar fate when she chipped a bone in her arm.

Blugolds junior Liz Halbur, senior Jasmine Longhenry and freshmen Krista DeJarlais and Meghan McDonald represented the team in the 200-yard freestyle relay.

McDonald said the relay team was seeded 10th going into the 200 and had hopes of finishing in the top eight.

Although the relay team was seeded ninth heading into the consolation finals, they finished in 11th place with a time of one minute, 38.71 seconds.

The same group also competed in the 400-yard freestyle relay at the tournament.

In the 400 freestyle, the group finished in 18th place with a time of 3:40.63.

McDonald also competed in the individual 50-yard freestyle, which she placed 25th in although she went into the event seeded 17th.

“I didn’t do bad, I guess, but I added time to my seed,” McDonald said. “I was hoping to improve on my best time of the season.”