GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Kentucky junior diver Jessica Thompson rebounded from a fourth-place preliminary-round showing to capture the women’s three-meter diving title at the Southeastern Conference Diving Championships Friday evening at Florida?s O?Connell Center Natatorium. Thompson’s victory marks the fifth-consecutive season and eighth out of the past 10 seasons a UK diver has captured an SEC title. Former All-American Clayton Moss won conference titles from 2001-2003 and Kari Retrum claimed the platform title a season ago.
Thompson, a Matthews, N.C., native, trailed throughout the event until the completion of her final dive. Trailing South Carolina?s Tracey Richardson, a 2004 Olympian representing Great Britain, by ninth tenths of a point with one dive remaining, Thompson completed a reverse one-and-a-half, two-and-a-half twist to assume the lead. Thompson held off final challenges from South Carolina?s Richardson and Lauren King, as well as Florida?s Nicole Bolt, to win the three-meter title.
?Normally, her inward is not one of her better optionals, but she did an exceptional inward and then followed up with a back one-and-a-half, two-and-a-half twist for sevens,? UK Diving Coach Mike Lyden said. ?The final dive is what got her over the top. It wasn?t a great contest, but we stayed in it, competed and ended up on top.?
Thompson was ready to meet the challenge head on with one dive remaining.
?I knew that I had to do a good dive at the end,? Thompson said. ?I knew we were only a couple of points apart, so I just knew that I had to hit my last dive. It was a pretty hard D.D. (degree of difficulty). I had to do a decent dive and hope they didn?t do theirs better.
Thompson was defeated by the second and third-place finishers, USC?s King and Richardson, in the teams? dual meet last month in Columbia. Thompson acknowledges the satisfaction of turning around the results at the SEC championships.
?I didn?t have a very good dual meet at South Carolina,? Thompson said. ?I was just a little lost. So, it was really nice to put something together here and do well. My main goal this year was just to finish in the finals. I went into the finals in fourth place. I was just hoping to stay fourth or above and stay consistent. It?s amazing. I still can?t believe it.?
Lyden was quick to acknowledge the efforts of his former SEC champions and his newest titlist.
?I get kids that want to work hard, and I don?t believe there?s anyone that works harder than us,? Lyden said. ?I think it?s a tribute to the people we?ve recruited and the families they come from, because it?s not easy diving for me. We just work hard and figure if you work hard, good things deserve to happen. They?ve been happening. I?m just really thrilled for Jessica that she did it. She?s a special girl.?
Elsewhere at the SEC Diving Championships, senior All-American Mario Rodriguez placed seventh in the men?s one-meter event.
?Mario was just excellent,? Lyden said. ?There are 14 or 15 guys he could have lost to diving just as well as he did, and he just stayed in there and was on his game. For him to make the final was special.?
Freshman Ben Starchuk took 12th on the one meter, and freshman Justin Montrie placed 18th. In the women?s three-meter preliminaries, sophomore Joey Brown took 12th, while sophomores Taryn Ignacio and Jillian Becker placed 16th and 18th, respectively.
SEC Diving Championships ? Gainesville, Fla.
Women?s 3 Meter
1. Jessica Thompson ? 480.60 12. Joey Brown ? 422.30 16. Taryn Ignacio ? 416.60 17. Jillian Becker ? 406.45
Men?s 1 Meter
7. Mario Rodriguez ? 317.65 12. Ben Starchuk ? 284.60 18. Justin Montrie ? 252.60
