Diving #CAAChamps Day 2 Recap
Tim McDonnell
Championship Central |
Day 1 Recap
Women's 1-Meter Results |
Men's 3-Meter Results
NEWARK, Del. (February 21, 2016) – The 2016 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Men's and Women's Diving Championships concluded on Sunday evening on the campus of the University of Delaware at the Rawstrom Natatorium, while James Madison's Olivia Lehman and Delaware’s Luke Winkler headlined Day 2 with first-place performances on the 1 and 3-meter boards, respectively.
This year's Diving Championship, like last season, was held separately from the Swimming Championship, although the two are still considered one single event. Now that the Diving Championships have wrapped up, the Swimming Championships begin on Wednesday, February 24 and continues through Saturday, February 27 in Richmond, Va.
Women's 1-Meter Finals
One day after finishing second on the 3-meter board, James Madison’s Lehman, a junior, responded with her first career CAA Championship gold medal. She entered the finals as the top seed and proved her ranking with a score of 290.45, edging out UD senior Kristina Congdon (277.55), who won Saturday’s 3-meter gold medal.
Lehman continued the Dukes’ CAA individual titles trend, becoming the fifth straight JMU women’s diver to win the conference’s 1-meter board event. For her efforts throughout the entire weekend, the Dayton, Ohio, native was named Most Outstanding Diver of the Meet by the CAA head coaches.
Right behind Congdon was fellow Blue Hen senior Caitlin Stockwell, who finished third with a score of 266.30. Stockwell also earned a third-place finish last night on the 3-meter. Northeastern sophomore Jacquelyn Gover, last season’s CAA Rookie Diver of the Year, placed fourth (251.30), while Madison senior Carly Alexander capped her career with a fifth-place finish.
First-year Delaware head diving coach Brian Coonce, a former Blue Hen diver, was tabbed both the Women's and Men’s Diving Coach of the Year. JMU’s Becky Benson entered the weekend having won the top women’s diving coaching award for six straight seasons.
Men's 3-Meter Finals
Sunday’s final event didn’t disappoint, as UD’s Winkler and Drexel’s David Sanchez went back-and-forth all the way down to their respective final dives. In the end, Winkler (356.30) outlasted the veteran Sanchez (355.50) to claim his first career CAA title. Perhaps even more impressive than beating Sanchez, a two-time CAA 3-meter champion himself, was that Winkler, a junior, become the first UD men’s diver to ever win a CAA title.
Despite finishing second on the 3-meter, Sanchez still was named Men's Most Outstanding Diver of the Meet. Amazingly, the Marietta, Ga., native ended his DU career earning that unique distinction three times at the CAA Championship. Already a two-time CAA Men’s Diver of the Year award winner, the senior has a chance later this spring to make more history when the conference’s final major awards are announced.
For the second time in his career, UNCW redshirt sophomore Allen Crosby finished the CAA Championship as a medalist on both diving boards. Crosby, who placed third on both boards in 2014, finished third on Sunday with a score of 293.35 - one day after placing second on the 1-meter to Sanchez. UD senior Colin Hall and UNCW junior Nathan Lane rounded out the Top-5 in order.
Day 2 Women's 1-Meter Results
1. Olivia Lehman, James Madison, Junior (290.45)
2. Kristina Congdon, Delaware, Senior (277.55)
3. Caitlin Stockwell, Delaware, Senior (266.30)
4. Jacquelyn Gover, Northeastern, Sophomore (251.30)
5. Carly Alexander, James Madison, Senior (249.70)
6. Caroline Gonsalves, Northeastern, Sophomore (247.00)
7. Alyssa Seales, Northeastern, Sophomore (230.85)
8. Molly Arceri, Towson, Senior (224.25)
Day 2 Men's 3-Meter Results
1. Luke Winkler, Delaware, Junior (356.30)
2. David Sanchez, Drexel, Senior (355.50)
3. Allen Crosby, UNCW, Redshirt Sophomore (293.35)
4. Colin Hall, Delaware, Senior (275.85)
5. Nathan Lane, UNCW, Junior (269.05)
6. Dylan Johnson, UNCW, Freshman (233.80)
7. Simon Carne, Drexel, Sophomore (231.45)
8. Michael Binkauskas, Drexel, Freshman (227.10)
2016 Diving Championship Award Winners
Women's Diving Coach of the Year: Brian Coonce, Delaware
Women's Most Outstanding Diver of the Meet: Olivia Lehman, Junior, James Madison
Men's Diving Coach of the Year: Brian Coonce, Delaware
Men's Most Outstanding Diver of the Meet: David Sanchez, Senior, Drexel
For more information on the 2016 CAA Diving Championships, visit our official championship pages under the championships tab at caasports.com.
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