The diving team made the long journey from Buffalo to Tucson, Ariz., gearing up for the second annual Wildcat Invitational, held at the University of Arizona's Kasser Family Pool over the weekend.
The invite, which hosted some of the best competition in the country, took place over three days, and included many talented young divers.
'Arizona is a perfect stepping stone to extra tough competition,' said Buffalo coach Karla Helder. 'No other event, other than the Akron Invite, challenges the athletes' endurance levels.'
Although the competition was fierce, the Bulls were up for the challenge, competing in events including the one-meter dive, the three-meter dive and the platform dive.
Each diver is given six dives in each event. They are scored on each dive by a panel of judges, and the scores are added together to determine the winner.
Buffalo sent two experienced divers to the event, senior Meili Carpenter and junior Kenny Rhoades, to represent both the Bulls men's and women's squads.
Carpenter had a strong showing all weekend, starting off strong on Friday by placing third in the three-meter championship final with a combined score of 289.00. On Carpenter's third dive from three-meters, she executed a near-flawless reverse two-and-a-half somersault tuck. This challenging dive in the three-meter final scored her an impressive 56.00 - good enough to take first place for the trick. The dive also proved to be her best individual score for the weekend.
On the second day of the event, Carpenter continued to showcase her skills. She placed first overall in the women's one-meter championship, amassing a total of 301.20 points. Carpenter beat out the 2008 Olympian Elina Eggers from ASU by 1.95 points.
Due to tough competition and a large group of male divers – up to 31 competing in one event – Buffalo's junior Kenny Rhoades placed fourth in the consolation final of the one-meter event with a score of 273.30. On the last day of the invitational, Rhoades competed in the platform final where he earned a score of 208.70, good enough for an 11th place finish in the event.
While Buffalo only brought two athletes to the event, their success is a testament to the overall strength and the hard work that the squad puts in.
'If you practice like a champion, you will do so at the event,' Helder said. 'Meili has been with me for four years, [and] Kenny, 11 months. The training methods have paid off.'
Buffalo's strong showing also impressed other schools throughout the country.
'[The strong showing in Arizona] has also made other schools aware that UB has substance, talent and sportsmanship,' Helder said.
The Bulls return to action on Friday for the Zippy Invitational meet held in Akron, Ohio.
E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
