The 2017 USA Diving National Championships proved to be drama-filled Friday night at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion on the campus of the Ohio State University as Greg Duncan (Dominion Dive Club) and Olivia Rosendahl (Unattached) came away with the national titles. Duncan won the men’s 3-meter crown and Rosendahl snagged the women’s 10-meter title to close out the fourth day of senior competition.
Duncan dazzled in the final with all six of his dives, earning awards worth 63.00 or more points on each one. The University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill commit started his night with a forward 3½ somersault pike that totaled 72.85, putting him in first after the opening round. He held the top spot through round two with a back 2½ somersault pike that earned 67.50. Duncan would find himself in fifth after scores of 68.25 and 63.00 in the third and fourth rounds, but lit up the scoreboard for 67.50 on a forward 2½ somersault 1 twist pike to get into second place. He saved his best dive for last with a forward 2½ somersault 2 twist pike worth 76.50 points to seal the title.
“It’s redemption for what happened in juniors,” Duncan said when asked how the national title feels. “In juniors I overthought everything, so I figured if I wanted to do well this time I just had to relax myself.”
The gold marked Duncan’s fourth medal of the entire national championships (men’s 3-meter gold; 16-18 boys’ 1-meter gold; men’s 1-meter silver; 16-18 boys’ 3-meter bronze).
Duncan’s win was no simple task as the men’s 3-meter field provided stellar dive after stellar dive. Second-place finisher Jordan Windle (Fort Lauderdale Diving Team) amassed 405.65 points, including a forward 2½ somersault 1 twist pike worth 75.00 points. Purdue University’s Joey Cifelli claimed bronze with 402.60 points.
The women’s 10-meter final composed the second half of the night, but was the first half of a live broadcast on NBCSN as part of the 2017 Team USA Summer Champions Series presented by Comcast. Rosendahl compiled 319.50 points for gold, adding to a stellar year that saw her win a NCAA title on platform back in March.
“This is amazing,” Rosendahl said. “It’s almost better than NCAAs because Laura’s (Wilkinson) been my role model since I was five.”
Rosendahl held off Wilkinson by executing two dives of 70.00 or more points. She began the final with a back 2½ somersault 1½ twist pike worth 72.00 to jettison herself into first. She followed with 67.20 points on an armstand back 2 somersault 1½ twist free. She slipped to sixth with an inward 3½ somersault tuck that only earned 48.00, but followed up with dives of 60.90 (back 2½ somersault pike) and 71.40 (reverse 2½ somersault tuck) to strike gold.
Wilkinson (Woodlands Diving Academy) finished second in her first major final since coming out of retirement this past March. The Sydney 2000 Olympic Games platform gold medalist tallied 296.25 points and crafted two dives worth 67.20 (inward 3½ somersault tuck and back 2½ somersault 1½ twist pike). The 2005 platform world champion rebounded well from a double balk in the semifinal to find the podium two days later.
The top seed heading into Friday night’s final, Johanna Holloway (Moss Farms Diving), finished third with 287.70 points.
The final day of competition at the 2017 USA Diving National Championships includes: men’s 10-meter final, women’s 3-meter final. Competition starts at 10:00 a.m. ET.
The 2017 USA Diving National Championships is part of the 2017 Team USA Summer Champions Series, presented by Comcast. The Champions Series showcases numerous Olympic sports throughout the season, highlighting the year-round quest of Team USA athletes to compete at the Olympic Games.
Day 12 Final Results
Women’s 10-meter Final
- Olivia Rosendahl (Unattached), 319.50; 2. Laura Wilkinson (Woodlands Diving Academy), 296.25; 3. Johanna Holloway (Moss Farms Diving), 287.70; 4. Grace Cable (Duke Diving), 260.40; 5. Daria Lenz (SoCal Divers), 253.45; 6. Sophia McAfee (Trojan Dive Club), 239.95; 7. Kristen Hayden (Unattached), 233.45; 8. Molly Fears (Unattached), 232.95; 9. Alexis Vincent (Purdue University), 230.50; 10. Aliyah Watson (Ft Lauderdale Diving Team), 217.40; 11. Christy Cutshaw (North Carolina Diving), 215.10; 12. Julia Wortman (Coral Springs Diving), 214.20 13. Jennifer Giacalone (Carolina Diving Academy), 213.85
Men’s 3-meter Final
- Gregory Duncan (Dominion Dive Club), 415.60; 2. Jordan Windle (Ft Lauderdale Diving Team), 405.65; 3. Joseph Cifelli (Purdue University), 402.60; 4. Grayson Campbell (Longhorn Aquatics), 368.25; 5. David Hoffer (Unattached), 356.35; 6. Nathaniel Hernandez (GC Diving), 353.20; 7. Christopher Law (Unattached), 346.30; 8. Jack Matthews (Ohio State Diving Club), 336.85; 9. Sean Burston (North Carolina Diving), 335.95; 10. Tyler Downs (Unattached), 333.10; 11. Jacob Fielding (Trojan Dive Club), 324.70; 12. Clay White (Ohio State Diving Club), 313.20; 13. Jacob Siler (Tennessee Diving), 308.85; 14. Anton Hoherz (Woodlands Diving Academy), 280.90
Click here for full results.
Press Release courtesy of USA Diving.
