Foster captured the first individual title of her career by topping a tough women’s field that saw five divers score more than 320 points. Kelci Bryant (Chatham, Ill.) took the silver medal with 329.10 points, and Allison Brennan (Huntington Beach, Calif.) scored 327.85 points for bronze. Christina Loukas (Riverwoods, Ill.) took fourth at 324.75, and Cassidy Krug (Coraoplis, Pa.) was fifth at 321.30.
“There are a lot of great divers here. I’m just grateful for the opportunity,” said Foster, who earlier this week won the women’s 3-meter synchro title with Krug. “There’s always room for improvement, but I’m pleased with how I did today.” Foster scored nearly 35 points higher than she did at last month’s World Championships, where she placed sixth.
In the men’s competition, Finchum and David Boudia (Noblesville, Ind.) put together a dominating performance to finish in the top two spots for the fourth major national meet in a row. Boudia finished with 500.40 points for the silver medal. The next closest competition was Harrison Jones (Spring, Texas), who finished with 444.30 points.
Boudia led after the halfway point, but Finchum took over the top spot by scoring as high as 10 on his fourth dive. He all but closed the door on his last dive, a back 2 ½ with 1 ½ twists, by receiving 10s from all but one judge. “I knew I had to do my best on that dive because David has a higher degree of difficulty on his last dive,” Finchum said. “We train so long and hard every day, and it’s good to see it pay off.”
In 2006, Boudia won the U.S. Open and the national championship, and Finchum was second in both meets. At the 2005 national championships, Finchum was first and Boudia second. Earlier this week, they won their third national title together in 10-meter synchro after taking bronze on the event at the 2007 World Championships.
Speedo USA Diving Spring National Championships Results – April 22, 2007
Women’s 3-meter Final
1. Nancilea Foster, The Woodlands Diving Academy, 347.25;2. Kelci Bryant, Unattached, 329.10;3. Allison Brennan, South Carolina Divers, 327.85;4. Christina Loukas, Indiana University, 324.75;5.. Cassidy Krug, Unattached, 321.30;6. Ashley Rubenstein, Auburn Diving, 293.95;7. Summer Mitchell, Team Orlando Diving, 275.70;8. Kaylea Arnett, The Woodlands Diving Academy, 261.90;9. Sarah Chrzanowski, Legacy Diving Assoc., 259.85;10. Kristen Asman, U.S. Elite Diving Academy, 257.75;11. Brittney Feldman, Indiana University, 256.20;12. Marisa Samaniego, UCLA Diving, 236.10.
Men’s Platform Final
1. Thomas Finchum, Unattached, 512.05;2. David Boudia, Unattached, 500.40;3. Harrison Jones, The Woodlands Diving Academy, 444.30;4. Matt Bricker, Unattached, 439.15;5. Drew Livingston, The Woodlands Diving Academy, 411.20;6. Daniel Mazzaferro, Auburn University, 402.00;7. Nick McCrory, Blue Devil Diving, 400.95;8. JJ Kinzbach, The Woodlands Diving Academy, 391.65;9. Daniel Frebel, Florida State University, 387.95;10. Jonathan Wilcox, Unattached, 381.70;11. Jason Coben, Ft Lauderdale Diving Team, 369.85;12. John Geyer, Trojan Dive Club, 303.60
About USA Diving: Featuring America’s best divers, 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 and is responsible for training and selecting teams that represent the United States at international events such as the Olympic Games, World Championships and World Cup. For additional information please visit www.usadiving.org.
