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By NANCY MORGAN
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 15, 2001
It will be a week of practice and repetition coming up for six area divers headed to the U.S. Zone Diving Championships in Moultrie, Ga.
Whether it's an individual's first trip -- as is the case for Kaila Johnston, Josh Matson and Alex Tillbrook -- or a person's second -- as with Amanda Smolen, Austin Hampton and Mark Moss -- practice and more practice are keys to success.
"I'll do a lot of practicing to refine my dives," said Johnston, who trains with Gina Germano on the Clearwater Aquatic Team. "I just missed qualifying for last year's zone meet, so I'm happy to be going this year," Johnston said. "This week, I'll especially practice going into the water cleaner."
Johnston and a core of other local divers traveled to Coral Springs earlier this month to compete in the Junior Olympic Regional Meet. The top 12 in each category qualified for the zone competition.
Johnston, a rising junior at Clearwater High School, will compete on the 1-meter and 3-meter boards in the 14-15 age division. Smolen will be on the 1-meter.
"Last year, I competed on all three boards," Smolen said. "At zone this year, I hurt my ankle warming up for the 3-meter competition and had to scratch that event and even change my dives for the 1-meter. Hopefully, my ankle will be all right for the zone meet."
Smolen, a rising sophomore at Largo High, won a district title this past season and advanced to state.
A former competitive gymnast, Smolen, 15, thinks the transfer of gymnastics skills to diving has greatly enhanced her diving development. She trains with David Anderson at the Suncoast Diving Club.
Tillbrook and Moss train with Anderson at the Southwest Pool in Largo. Tillbrook has competed in diving less than a year. Moss started two seasons ago.
"I competed in gymnastics before but hurt my wrist," said Tillbrook, an Osceola sophomore. "Diving has a lot of the same techniques as gymnastics, although some are very different. "I'm happy to be going to the zone meet and am working on dives over and over again."
Tillbrook finished second on the 1-meter at regionals behind the defending national champion and was third on the 3-meter. In the zone competition, Tillbrook will be on the platform board.
Moss, too, is emphasizing repetition in his practice and will compete on the 1- and 3-meter boards, as well as the platform.
As a sophomore last year at Palm Harbor University High, Moss finished second in the district. PHU placed first overall.
"I'm not exactly sure what to expect because I moved up an age group to the 16-18," Moss said. "I won't really know until I get there."
Matson is just happy to have qualified for his first zone meet.
A former gymnast at the Class III level, Matson won the Pinellas County Athletic Conference 1-meter championship as a sophomore last year at East Lake High and has just begun competing on the 3-meter.
"My seven years in gymnastics helped teach me air awareness," Matson said. "That really helps when you're twisting and turning in the air."
The most experienced diver among the group is Hampton, who has competed in three U.S. National Diving Championships. Last year, he earned a silver medal on the 1-meter.
"At the regional, I was eighth on platform and sixth on the 1-meter and the 3," said Hampton, an incoming freshman at Admiral Farragut. "I've been training hard and hope to do well at zones."
A top-six finish in the zone meet will advance the divers to the national championships, July 31-Aug. 5 in Indianapolis.
SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING: The Suncoast WaterWorks Team competed in the U.S. Age Group Synchronized Swimming Championships last month in Syracuse, N.Y.
Over 1,100 swimmers 12-19 from across the nation battled in four age groups during the eight-day meet. Competitors were treated to exhibitions by Olympians Anna Koslokova and Bill May.
The 18-19 trio of Nondi Garrett, Crystal Amsinger and Jennifer Amsinger placed sixth overall. The 18-19 team -- including Kara Clemons, Garrett, Rachael Farkash, Meredith Cooke, Jamie Freshour, Dana Rosenfeld and Crystal and Jennifer Amsinger -- was 10th.
The Sunshine State Games team champions were Melody Flowers, Kim Potter, Jessica Milam and Rebecca Schuyler (14-15 intermediate); Lilly Althauser, Jessica Bennett, Taylor Koon, Jenna Lee and Logan Worley (10-11 intermediate); Laurie Goyack, Jessica Guler, Gabrielle Lewis, Kristen Porter, Erin Ritz, Kalie Wieland and Katrina Yamokoski (10-11 novice); and Jennifer Aguero, Chelsea Crose, Anna Dunwoody and Kimberly Goyack (9-and-under novice).
SWIMMING: Over 500 swimmers competed in last weekend's long course meet hosted by St. Petersburg Aquatics at the North Shore Pool in St. Petersburg.
SPA led the competition, followed by the Clearwater Aquatic Team (CAT) in second, West FLorida Lightning Aquatics (WFLA) in fourth and the Dunedin Aquatic Club (DAC) in 17th.
Individual high-point winners were Megan Rossi (WFLA) in 8-and-under, Megan Romano (SPA) in 10-and-under, Rae-Lynn Sheffield (unattached) in 11-12 and Stephani Margalis (SPA) in senior. Top boys top performers were Cameron Chambers (SPA) in 10-and-under and Patrick Davis (CAT) in senior.
SPA's Tracy Rorer and Katie Brown tied for second in 10-and-under. Andy Stoddard (SPA) was second in 13-14, as was Ted Bradley (SPA) in senior.
Placing third were Teresa Tessier (WFLA), Kristen Nardozzi (SPA) in senior, Timothy Sigrignoli (CAT) in 8-and-under, Kory Sgrignoli (CAT) in 10-and-under and Brad Snyder (SPA) in senior.
This weekend, swimmers are in Lakeland competing in the Strawberry Invitational.
The Pinellas Aquatic League Championships will be hosted by the Countryside Country Club Aquatics on Aug. 4-5 at the Long Center.