Olympians Win Titles at National Diving Championships

PASADENA, California, July 26. FOUR national titles were handed out Saturday at the Kaiser Permanente National Diving Championships, and three of them went to 2008 U.S. Olympic Team members.

Nancilea Foster (Conroe, Texas) won the women's 3-meter title, Kelci Bryant (Chatham, Ill.) and Ariel Rittenhouse (Santa Cruz, Calif.) took first in women's synchronized 3-meter, and David Boudia (Noblesville, Ind.) and Thomas Finchum (Indianapolis) claimed the men's 10-meter synchro title. Nick McCrory (Chapel Hill, N.C.) won the men's 10-meter, the only event that did not include an Olympic team member.

Both men's 10-meter events featured dominating performances that resulted in personal best scores. Boudia and Finchum scored a career-high 464.04 points, earning three 10s throughout the afternoon and receiving at least one 9.0 mark on all six of their dives. Andrew Brown (Centennial, Colo.) and Cole Young (Overland Park, Kan.) were second at 339.93 points.

McCrory, an alternate on the 2008 Olympic team, picked up his first national championship with a personal best 521.70 points, nearly 100 points ahead of second-place David Colturi (Sylvania, Ohio), who scored 426.15 points. McCrory earned three 10s throughout the contest, earning two on his reverse 3 ½ tuck and one on his back 2 ½ with 1 ½ twists.

Matt Cooper (Bethesda, Md.) was third with 413.20 points, and Landon Marzullo (Columbus, Ohio) rounded out the top four at 381.30.

Foster scored 349.35 points on 3-meter to edge out her Olympic teammate Christina Loukas (Riverwoods, Ill.), who was second at 340.95. They were the only two divers to score more than 60 points on all five of their dives. Foster earned 76.50 points on her back 2 ½ pike and her reverse 2 ½ pike, with Loukas also scoring 76.50 on her reverse 2 ½.

Allison Brennan (Huntington Beach, Calif.) was third at 321.30, and Summer Allman (Troy, Mich.) scored 316.50 points for fourth.

Bryant and Rittenhouse captured their second consecutive national championship with 308.10 points. Loukas and Amanda Miller (Centreville, Va.) were second at 298.20, and Michelle Cabassol (Montgomery, Texas) and Kaylea Arnett (Spring, Texas) scored 252.93 points for third.

The championships conclude Sunday, July 27 at noon with finals in women's individual and synchronized 10-meter and men's individual and synchronized 3-meter. A number of 2008 Olympic team members are expected to compete.

Special thanks to USA Diving for contributing this report.

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