Medalists Abound For Y Diving Team

While the USA, Great Britain and China battled over who would win the gold in diving in the 2012 Summer Olympics, some young members of the Somerset Valley YMCA’s Lords of the Boards diving team captured a few medals of their own at national diving events this summer.

Three members of the Y team competed in the 2012 Junior National Diving Championships in August in Greensboro, N.C., an event that features the best divers in the country. To qualify, divers had to be among the top six at one of five zoned meets held around the country.

Two members of the team ranked among the top ten in their age group. In the 11-and-under boys group, Seamus Harding, 10, of Hillsborough, captured third place in the three-meter dive. Kyle Schubert, 11, of Basking Ridge, placed sixth.

The young duo teamed up again on platform diving with Harding placing fourth and Schubert, 10^th. Schubert also scored a sixth place in the one-meter dive. 

In the 14-15 boys age group, Kevin Fulton, 15, of Flanders, placed 20^th on platform and 31^st on  the three-meter dive.

“It was very exciting to see how well we stacked up against the best. We have two of the top 11-and-under boys in the USA," said Fred Woodruff, who coaches the Y team along with his wife, Lesley. “We are so proud of these boys for their hard work and dedication which has taken them to the highest level of competition.”  

This summer, in addition to the 2012 Junior Nationals competition, the team also sent three divers to the 2012 Age Group National Championships, also held in Greensboro, N.C. To qualify, divers needed to place in 7th to 12^th place in the zoned championship meets.

Harding took the one-meter diving title for the 11-and-under boys, coming in first. In the 14-15 boys age group, Nash Nickerson, 15, of Doylestown, Pa., took third place in the one-meter and platform diving, and 8^th in the three-meter diving.

Lisa Coe, 14, of Bridgewater, placed 11^th in platform diving, 15^th in the one-meter and 19^th in three-meter diving. Complete results for both national meets can be found at www.Divemeets.com.   

The team also sent five divers to the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) National Diving Championships in Huntersville, N.C. They were Alexandra Beran, 14, of Basking Ridge; Michael Dana, 14, of Somerset; Grace Nielson, 17, of Warren; Maria Abiad, 17, of Cranbury; and Jack McCarthy, 18, of Madison. Results can be found at: http://image.aausports.org/dnn/Diving/pdf/2012/12DivingNationalsResults.pdf