MATANZAS, Cuba – U.S. divers closed out the Junior Pan American Championships with two silver and two bronze medals Sunday to finish the four-day competition with 16 medals (four gold, four silver and eight bronze).
Maysi Richards (Weatherford, Texas) won silver on 3-meter in the 12-13 age group, while Emily Grund (Keller, Texas) and Mackenzie Willborn (Flower Mound, Texas/Durham, North Carolina) picked up silver in synchronized 3-meter in the combined 14-18 age group. USA added bronze medals from Jordan Rzepka (Solon, Ohio) and Max Fowler (Burke, Va.) on 1-meter in the 12-13 and 11-and-under age group, respectively.
Richards won the 3-meter silver with 312.20 points after placing 10th on platform on Friday. Richards was just 6.70 points behind 3-meter gold medalist Margo Erlam of Canada, while Colombia’s Steffanie Madrigal was third with 298.80 points. Daryn Wright (Plainfield, Ind.) was 10th with 267.15 points.
“I was really upset after platform because I knew I could do better. I just had to move on and dig deep to find that champion in me. I’m really happy with how I dove on 3-meter, and I’m so excited to have a silver medal,” Richards said.
Grund and Willborn scored 262.32 points to finish second in synchronized 3-meter behind Mexico’s Maria Lopez and Laura Vasquez, who won gold with 278.34 points.
“Everybody was cheering really loud. It was really awesome having everyone supporting us, and I think that helped a lot with the nerves. It was my first medal and my last junior competition, so it was a good note to end on,” said Willborn, who recently started her freshman year at Duke University.
“I was happy I could compete one last junior meet with her, and this was a great way to end it,” said Grund, who earlier in the week won an individual silver on 3-meter in the 14-15 age group.
Rzepka scored 318.25 points to finish with a bronze medal on 1-meter after placing ninth on 3-meter and 10th on platform earlier in the week. Mexico’s Randall Willard dominated the contest as he scored 370.50 points for gold. Tyler Downs (Ballwin, Mo.) was sixth at 308.50.
“Coming into the competition, I thought I’d do well on 3-meter and platform because those are my best events. I didn’t know how good the competition was going to be here. I’m really happy I was able to come back and get third on 1-meter,” Rzepka said.
Fowler finished the week with a 1-meter bronze after placing fourth on 3-meter and sixth on platform earlier in the week. He scored 219.55 for third on 1-meter, behind Mexico’s Osmar Olvera (249.95) and Canada’s Edouard Juteau (231.10).
Also on Sunday, Elena Yeh (South Pasadena, Calif.) and Alexandra Warshaw (Glendale, Calif.) scored 211.10 and 201.90 points to place fifth and sixth on platform in the 11-and-under age group.
In the 14-15 boys’ 3-meter event, Lyle Yost (Shaker Heights, Ohio) was sixth at 396.15 and Noah Duperre (New Albany, Ohio) scored 361.30 for ninth.
Jordan Windle (Morrisville, N.C.) placed ninth with 420.50 points on platform in the boys’ 16-18 age group, with Andrew Capobianco (Holly Springs, N.C.) scoring 411.55 for 11th place.
With 16 medals, USA finished third in the overall medal count. Canada won the most medals, with 27 in total. Mexico was second with 26 but led the gold medal count with 14 first-place finishes. Colombia won five medals, including two gold. Venezuela and Cuba each won two medals. In all, 10 countries participated in the Junior Pan American Championships.
Swimming news courtesy of USA Diving.
