@fullname - Swimming & Diving - University of Louisville Athletic

Molly Fears competes on platform at NCAAs.

Photo by: Justin Casterline

Molly Fears

Class:
Senior
High School:
Plainfield
Hometown:
Plainfield, Ind.

Senior: Fears continued to leave her mark as one of the best divers in program history during her senior year. At the ACC Championships, she finished fourth on the 3-meter (318.90), seventh on the 1-meter (271.05), and eighth on the 10-meter (198.30) after qualifying first during prelims. She won the 1-meter (281.55) and was the runner-up on the 3-meter (327.40) at the NC State Wolfpack Invitational and dove to third (267.75) and second (292.30), respectively, in those events at the SMU Classic. During the dual meet season, she won six events and swept both the 1-meter and 3-meter against Indiana, Northwestern, and Tennessee. Fears was also named to the 2020 USA Diving High Performance Squad, a program built to develop athletes who aspire to have international and Olympic success. For her performances on both the boards and in the classroom, Fears was named to the All-ACC Academic Team and awarded ACC Honor Roll and CSCAA Scholar All-America honors. She was also named to the CSCAA All-American team for all three boards. Fears was named the ACC Diver of the Week on Oct. 29 and Jan. 14.

Junior: Fears had a historic junior season, making history as the first Louisville diver to earn Honorable Mention All-American. At the NCAA Championships, she finished 10th on the platform with a final score of 258.65. She placed fourth on the 3m board (313.00) and eighth on the platform (202.70) at the ACC Championships, scoring a total of 48 points for the Cardinals. She registered nine top-four finishes throughout the dual meet season, which included wins on both boards against Tennessee. She competed at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge where she placed fifth on the platform and eighth on the 3m. For the third-straight year, Fears was named to the All-ACC Academic Team and earned CSCAA Scholar All-America honors for her strong academic and athletic performances. As the first Cardinal diver to ever represent Team USA at the 2019 World University Games in Napoli, Italy, Fears finished 11th in the finals of the platform.

Sophomore: After finishing fourth in the 3-meter board finals at NCAA Zones, Fears punched her ticket to the NCAA Championships in all three diving events. At NCAAs, she recorded a 20th place finish on the 3-meter (309.95). Fears had an impressive showing at the ACC Championships, earning the bronze medal on the 1-meter with a score of 294.35. She also took 10th on the platform (213.40) and 12th in the 3-meter (272.70). At the USA Diving Senior National Championships, Fears qualified for the platform finals and placed 12th in the nation. In the dual season, she registered wins at the Cards’ meets against Michigan (279.60) and Notre Dame (289.95). For her performances both academically and athletically, Fears was named to the All-ACC Academic Team and earned CSCAA Scholar All-America honors.

Freshman: Fears made an immediate impact for the Cardinals, qualifying for NCAAs in her debut season. At the NCAAs, she finished 31st in the platform (221.60) and 34th in the 3-meter (280.20). She also had a strong showing at the ACC Championships, finishing eighth in the 3-meter (252.10), while placing 25th in the platform (186.80) and 27th in the 1-meter (239.55). Fears qualified for the World Championship Trials, finishing 27th (172.60) in the 3-meter springboard. At the USA Diving National Championships, she placed eighth in the platform with a score of 232.95 and also competed in the 3-meter springboard (216.60). In the dual meet season, Fears won the 3-meter against both Missouri (321.45) and Notre Dame (325.05). At the UofL Invitational, she finished sixth in the platform (213.50) and seventh in the 1-meter (246.70).

Prep: Fears joins the diving contingent for the Cardinals from Plainfield, Ind. where she attended Plainfield High School. She was the captain of the PHS diving team and was three-time state qualifier as well as a zone qualifier. Academically, Fears has maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout high school, is a member of NHS and a part of the athletic leadership council.

Personal: Born April 19, 1998.