WHS divers unite for victory

DARRELL L. BREESE

Frontiersman reporter

CHUGIAK - They may not have the best diver on the state on their team, but as a unit the Wasilla boy's diver earned the right to brag for a year.

Competing in the diving portion of the Bartlett-Chugiak Invitational Saturday, the Warriors brought home the team trophy and with it the right to call them selves the best diving team in the state.

Led by the fifth place finish of Erin Hogan, the Warriors placed four divers in the top 16 and scored enough to edge runner-up South Anchorage by four points, winning 39-35.

Defending state champion David Arlington, from Pacific Northern Academy dominated the individual competition winning with a comfortable 155 point margin. His score of 479.5 points was 26 points better than his winning score from last year. Runner-up Max Brogan, of West Valley scored 354.2.

Teammates Chris McGinty (seventh, 265.55) and Ryan Hogan (ninth, 245.25) aided the Warriors success with top-10 finishes.

South also had three divers finish in the top-11, led by the third place finish of Zack Bunker (352 points), but it was the performance by Nathaniel Reichard that vaulted the Warriors to the team

title.

Reichard finished in 13th place with a score of 224.05, earning Wasilla the four points needed to break the 35-35 tie.

The Colony girls nearly made it a sweep for Valley teams, as Emily Whitstine and Shereen Whitford combined for 30 points and second place.

Dimond High's Megan Morton and defending state champion Chelsea Ray finished first and second overall, giving the Lynx 37 points in the team competition allowing them to take home the trophy.

Whitstine finished third overall with 345.55 points, 31 behind Morton's winning score of 376.1. Whitford placed fifth with 285.85 points.

The competition drew the largest field of divers to participate in one meet, as 59 divers from 18 different schools took part.

Contact reporter Darrell L. Breese at 352-2267 or at darrell.breese@frontiers-man.com.