Abigail Knapton Season 2016-17

• Q&A with Abigail Knapton

Honors & Awards

• NCAA First-Team All-American (Platform, 2017 [4th], 2018 [8th], 2019 [5th], 2021 [8th])
• NCAA First-Team All-American (Three-Meter, 2021 [8th])
• NCAA Honorable-Mention All-American (Three-Meter, 2019 [15th])
• CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-American (At-Large, 2021)
• NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship (2021)
• Big Ten Medal of Honor (2021)
• Nebraska Athletics Female Student-Athlete of the Year (All Sports, 2020-21)
• Nebraska Athletics Best Female Athlete (All Sports, 2020-21)
• NCAA Championship Qualifier (Platform, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021; Three-Meter, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021; One-Meter, 2021)
• NCAA Zone D Diving Champion (Platform, 2017, 2019)
• NCAA Zone D Diving Qualifier (Platform, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021; Three-Meter, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021; One-Meter, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021)
• Big Ten Diver of the Meet (2021)
• Big Ten Champion (Platform, 2021)
• Big Ten Champion (One-Meter, 2021)
• Big Ten Runner-Up (Three-Meter, 2021)
• First-Team All-Big Ten (2021)
• World University Games Qualifier (2019)
• Nebraska Athletics Outstanding Female Newcomer of the Year (All Sports, 2016-17)
• Nebraska Athletics Outstanding Female of the Year Finalist (All Sports, 2018-19)
• Four Letters (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021)
• CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 At-Large (2021)
• CSCAA Scholar All-American (First Team, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021)
• Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
• Nebraska Outstanding Scholar (2021)
• Academic All-Big Ten (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
• Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020; Spring 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
• Herman Team GPA Award (2017)
• Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)

2020-21 (Redshirt Senior)
The most decorated diver in Nebraska history, Abi Knapton made history by capturing first-team All-America honors in both the platform and three-meter springboard with eighth-place finishes at the 2021 NCAA Championships. Knapton became the first Husker diver or swimmer ever to be a four-time first-team All-American in the same event (platform). A six-time All-American overall, she was a five-time first-team All-America including her performance on the three-meter dive at the 2021 NCAA meet. 

Knapton scored 22 points for the Huskers at the 2021 NCAA meet, helping the Huskers produce 33 total points to finish 26th - their best team finish since taking 23rd in 2001. NU's 33 team points were its most since 2000.

At the 2021 Big Ten Diving Championships, Knapton rewrote Husker history by becoming the first Nebraska diver to win a Big Ten title, capturing the platform crown with a total of 343.55 - the second-best score of her career. One day later, she added a second Big Ten championship by winning the one-meter competition with a career-best score in the finals of 339.15. Her winning performances, along with a runner-up finish on the three-meter event (career-best 372.20) on the opening day of competition, earned Knapton Big Ten Diver-of-the-Meet honors.

Not only did Knapton become Nebraska's first Big Ten Diver of the Meet, she was the first Husker diver to claim a conference title since Julie Grimmer won the three-meter championship at the 1995 Big Eight Championships. She also became the first Husker diver to win two conference diving titles in the same meet since Julie May swept the one and three-meter events at the 1989 Big Eight Championships.

Knapton scored 92 points at the 2021 Big Ten Championships - the most points ever scored by a Husker diver in a single conference championship meet in school history. She also became the first diver in Nebraska history to earn All-Big Ten honors.

Knapton earned her place at the national meet by finishing third on platform, fourth on three-meter and 12th on one-meter at the 2021 NCAA Zone D Diving meet in Lexington, Ky.

She continued an impressive hardware haul by becoming just the second Husker in history across all sports to be named both the Nebraska Female Student-Athlete of the Year and the Best Female Athlete. As Nebraska's Female Student-Athlete of the Year, Knapton also earned the Big Ten Medal of Honor. She also claimed a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship in 2021.

At the U.S. Olympic Diving Team Trials in Indianapolis, Knapton was the only female diver to advance to finals in both the three-meter springboard and on the platform. Knapton finished fifth on platform and seventh on the three-meter dive at the trials.

Knapton is also a four-time first-team CSCAA Scholar All-American and a four-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.

2019-20 (Redshirt)
Knapton was selected as one of three captains alongside Autumn Haebig and Izzie Murray for the Huskers in 2019-20, before choosing to take a redshirt season. In the classroom, Knapton was a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten choice for the third consecutive year.

2018-19 (Junior)
Knapton, a four-time All-American, put together her best season yet, firmly establishing herself as the best diver in Nebraska history.  At the 2019 NCAA Championships, Knapton dove to fifth place on the platform with a finals score of 316.75. It marked her third consecutive first-team All-America award on the platform. She added an honorable-mention All-America award with her 15th-place finish on the three-meter board. She posted a final score of 639.10 (333.90 carried over from prelims). Knapton became the first four-time All-America diver in Nebraska history and the first Husker diver to earn All-America honors three times in the same event. Knapton also became the first Husker to earn two All-America awards at the same NCAA Championship meet since Elvira Fischer won a pair of honors in the breaststroke events in 2001. Knapton’s outstanding junior season made her a finalist for the Nebraska Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year Award across all sports.

Knapton qualified for her third consecutive NCAA Championships by winning the platform competition at the NCAA Zone D Diving meet. She added a ninth-place finish on the three-meter board. She also placed 21st on the one-meter board at the zone diving competition. At the 2019 Big Ten Championships, Knapton captured All-Big Ten honors on the platform with a fourth-place finish and a total of 340.10 points. She posted the highest round score of the evening in round two (90.75), followed by a strong third-round dive (70.95). Not only was it Knapton’s first year placing in the top eight, she placed in the top eight in all three dives. She took fifth on the three-meter board and added a sixth-place showing on the one meter, setting a then-career best with a 323.70 on the one meter at the Big Ten Championships.

Knapton’s stellar junior campaign included 13 individual titles among her 23 top-five finishes. She represented the Big Ten at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, diving to fourth-place finishes on both the platform and three-meter events. She dominated the platform board at the Hawkeye Invite by earning a career best with a score of 343.85. She also claimed second place on the three-meter board (357.80) at the invite. The three-time letterwinner established a then-career best on the three-meter board (362.48) with a win against Kansas. She captured an impressive victory at the CAMO International Diving Invite on the platform board, before adding a runner-up finish on the three-meter board. Knapton represented the Huskers at the USA Winter Diving Trials, taking fifth on the platform and 12th on the three-meter board. She swept the platform and three-meter events at the Wally Nakamoto Invite.

A three-time first-team CSCAA Scholar All-American, Knapton was named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar for the second time. She also claimed an Academic All-Big Ten selection for the second straight season. She earned a spot on the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team for the third time.

2017-18 (Sophomore)
Knapton became the first diver in Nebraska history to capture first-team All-America honors in back-to-back seasons. Knapton took eighth on the platform dive (286.15) to claim first-team All-America honors for the second straight season on the event. She added a 22nd-place finish on the three-meter board (307.60) at nationals to cap another history-making season. She qualified for nationals with career bests on the platform (589.70) and on the one meter (535.85) at the NCAA Zone D Diving competition. At the Big Ten Championships, Knapton took ninth on the three meter, 10th on the platform and 26th on the one meter. Throughout the season, Knapton captured 12 individual titles and five runner-up finishes among her 19 top-five showings. Also an outstanding student, Knapton was named a first-team CSCAA Scholar All-American for the second time and was a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten selection. She was also a member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.

2016-17 (Freshman)
A first-team All-American with a fourth-place finish on the platform as a true freshman at the 2017 NCAA Championships, Knapton kicked off her diving career strong with 17 top-five finishes, including three victories as a freshman for the Huskers in 2016-17. Knapton notched a victory at the 2017 NCAA Zone D Diving Meet in platform with a total of 553.00. She qualified for the 2017 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in the three-meter and platform dives. Knapton competed in all three dives at the Big Ten Championships, finishing 14th on platform (257.50), 11th on the one-meter dive (285.60) and ninth on three meter (337.35). She set two season bests at Illinois in both the one-meter (294.98) for a runner-up finish and in the three meter (343.12) to capture her first dual victory. She also finished second on platform at the Jean Freeman Invite with a season-best 318.70. Knapton earned spots on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll both semesters.

Previous
Knapton was one of the state’s top divers as a senior at Omaha Marian High School in 2016. The Nebraska state runner-up in the one-meter dive as a senior, Knapton helped the Crusaders to a state runner-up finish as a team. Knapton was also the runner-up at the Region 8 Championships. A strong performer in the classroom as well, Knapton earned the President’s Award for Educational Excellence. She was also an honor roll student at Omaha Marian throughout her high school career.

Personal 
The daughter of Emily and Jeffery Knapton, Abigail was born April 23, 1998 in Cheyenne, Wyo. Abi has one younger sister, Nettie-Clare. A psychology major, Abi earned her bachelor's degree from Nebraska in May of 2021. She was a first-team CSCAA Scholar All-American in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021. She was a four-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and a four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021). She was a 10-time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll selection. She was also a five-time member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team. She chose Nebraska over Wyoming, Utah, Ohio, Army West Point, Virginia Tech, Arkansas and Boise State.

Career-Best Dives

Event	Score	Meet (Date)
One Meter	339.15	Big Ten Championships (2021)
Three Meter	372.20	Big Ten Championships  (2021)
Platform	343.85	Hawkeye Invite (2018)