|
| |
July 25, 2004
U S Diving
DIVING: Soldati, Garcia Capture
National Diving Titles
SOLDATI, GARCIA CAPTURE NATIONAL DIVING TITLES
MISSION VIEJO, Calif. – 2004 Olympic diving team members Kimiko Soldati
(Magnolia, Texas) and Caesar Garcia (Baton Rouge, La.) staged impressive come
from behind victories in their Olympic events at the 2004 Speedo National Diving
Championships.
In the women’s 3-meter springboard final, 30-year-old Soldati trailed fellow
2004 Olympic team member Sara Hildebrand (St.
Paul, Minn.) by 21 points after the third round of dives. Hildebrand missed her
fourth dive, a reverse 2 ½ somersaults tuck, for 4.5’s – 5.5’s, while Soldati
earned 7’s – 8.5’s on her final two dives, each carrying a 3.0 degree of
difficulty, to capture the title. Soldati finished with 515.04 points, 13 points
ahead of 15-year-old Chelsea Davis (Columbus, Ohio), who scored 502.23 points.
Hildebrand ended up third with 496.50 points. It was Soldati’s second national
title on 3-meter.
In the men’s 10-meter platform final, Garcia scored 8.5’s – 9.5’s on his final
dive, a back 2 ½ somersaults with 1 ½ twists, to overtake his Auburn University
teammate Matt Bricker (Winter Park, Fla.) for the title with a score of 625.77
points. It was Garcia’s first national title in the 10-meter platform event.
Bricker scored 7’s – 8’s on his final dive, the same dive as Garcia’s, to finish
with 617.64 points. Fourteen-year-old Thomas Finchum (Indianapolis, Ind.), who
was also in contention for the title going into his last dive, scored 4.5’s -5’s
on a reverse 3 ½ somersaults tuck to finish third with 583.47 points.
Garcia and Bricker turned their rivalry into a team effort in the men’s
synchronized 10-meter platform final as they upset 2004 Olympic team members
Mark Ruiz (Orlando,
Fla.)
and Kyle Prandi (Strongsville, Ohio) for the gold. Garcia/Bricker scored 346.53
points to 340.92 for Ruiz/Prandi.
“This is probably our best synchro performance ever,” said Garcia. “It was our
best score. We're very happy with it."
Fourteen-year-old Drew Livingston (The Woodlands, Texas) and 15-year-old
Harrison Jones (Spring,
Texas) took the bronze with 285.21 points.
In the women’s synchronized 3-meter final, Hildebrand and Cassandra Cardinell (Loudonville,
N.Y.) won their second straight national title in the event with a score of
261.63. Sisters Allison and Kellie Brennan (Huntington Beach,
Calif.)
took the silver with 256.44 points and Kathryn Kelly (Longwood,
Fla.)
and Nicole Bolt (Orlando, Fla.) earned the bronze with a score of 244.29 points.
The Speedo National Diving Championships continue at the Mission Viejo Aquatic
Center on Sunday at noon with the men’s 3-meter springboard final, women’s
10-meter platform final, men’s synchronized 3-meter final and women’s
synchronized 10-meter platform final.
TICKETS: Tickets for the preliminaries are $5 for adults and $3 for students.
Children 12 and under are admitted free. Tickets for the finals are $10 for
adults, $5 for students and $3 for children 12 and under. For ticket info, call
949-380-2538.
MEDIA: Media can gain access to the event by presenting a credential from their
respective outlet.
Women’s 3-meter Springboard Final
1.Kimiko Soldati, Centralized
Training Center, 515.04; 2. Chelsea Davis, US Elite Diving, 502.23; 3. Sara
Hildebrand, Indiana Diving, 502.23; 4. Nancilea Underwood, Woodlands Diving
Team, 472.83; 5. Ashley Rubenstein, Auburn Diving Club, 465.33; 6. Paige
Thompson, UCLA, 460.35; 7. Christina Loukas, Windy City Diving, 447.03; 8.
Allison Brennan, South
Carolina Divers, 445.08.
Men’s 10-meter Platform Final
1. Caesar Garcia, Auburn
Diving Club, 625.77; 2. Matt Bricker,
Auburn Diving Club, 617.64; 3. Thomas Finchum,
Indianapolis Regional
Training Center, 583.47; 4. Kyle Prandi, Miami Diving, 569.91; 5. JJ Kinzbach,
Woodlands Diving Team, 551.70; 6. Chris Colwill, Georgia Diving Club, 546.30; 7.
Marc Carlton, Indiana Diving, 517.20; 8. Evan Linette, Fort Lauderdale Diving
Team, 493.02.
Women’s Synchronized 3-meter Springboard Final
1. Cassandra Cardinell/Sara
Hildebrand,
Indiana Diving, 261.63; 2. Allison Brennan, South Carolina Divers/Kellie
Brennan, Mission Viejo Nadadores, 256.44; 3. Kathryn Kelly/Nicole Bolt, Team
Orlando Diving, 244.29; 4. Nancilea Underwood, Woodlands Diving Team/Cassidy
Krug, Pitt Aquatic Club, 243.78; 5. Chelsea Davis/Corey Gerlach, US Elite
Diving, 241.02; 6. Janine Strack/Amanda Blong, UCLA, 217.56.
Men’s Synchronized 10-meter Platform Final
1. Caesar Garcia/Matt Bricker, Auburn Diving Club, 346.53; 2. Kyle Prandi,
Miami Diving/Mark Ruiz, Team Orlando Diving, 340.92; 3. Drew
Livingston/Harrison Jones, Woodlands Diving Team, 285.21; 4. Brian Mariano/Marc
Carlton, Indiana
Diving, 281.94; 5. JJ Kinzbach, Woodlands Diving Team/Evan Linette, Fort
Lauderdale Diving Team, 269.19; 6. David Boudia/Thomas Finchum,
Indianapolis
Regional Training Center, 257.76.
USA Diving is the national governing body for the sport of diving. Headquartered
in Indianapolis,
USA Diving offers diversified
programs geared toward the broadest number of diving enthusiasts, from the
novice to the world champion. USA Diving conducts approximately 40 regional and
national events annually, sanctions hundreds of events managed by its 350 member
clubs and is responsible for training and selecting teams that represent the
United States at international events such as the Olympic Games, World
Championships and Pan American Games.
- USAD –
For additional information, please contact Jim Quinlivan, USA Diving’s director
of marketing, at 317-709-5258 or visit
www.usadiving.org.
| |
|
