1A, District 5 Diving: Devore, Thompson Qualify for State Meet

NYT REGIONAL MEDIA GROUP

WINTER HAVEN | Staying lowkey before and during the big meet may not be easy, but two Polk County divers, Abby Thompson and Mitch Devore, will testify it helped deliver them a district championship on Tuesday.

 

Last year Devore (Lakeland Christian) suffered a concussion the day before the district meet and had to sit out the competition. But after having a year to think about it, Devore rolled up 422.70 points at Rowdy Gaines Olympic Pool and won the title by 43.10 points.

 

"Last year my coach told me not to do anything stupid. But I was doing flips and stuff on the ground and I messed up and hit my head. It made me not do something too stupid the day before this year," Devore said.

 

The first-place finish handed Devore an automatic bid to the regional competition at Lake Highland Prep School Aquatic Complex in Orlando on Nov. 5.

 

"It's nice to take home first place. My goal is to hit states. It's my senior year and I'd like to say I was a state-level athlete," Devore said.

 

Thompson (Lake Wales) utilized the lowkey approach by not attempting any super-challenging dives, and the strategy paid off.

 

"I went a little bit conservative today. I threw dives that I knew that I could do, and that I knew I could do well," said Thompson, who rolled up 308.55 points to win the title.

 

"It was a lot of hard work but it paid off. It was my first meet with 11 dives. I've done them in the past but it was kind of a leap. The one-and-half tuck was my strong dive today. I think I might throw some new stuff in at regional."

 

Also receiving automatic berths to the regional meet were district runner-ups Mabry Craddock (All Saints' Academy) and Robby Costine (Fort Meade).

 

Costine qualified for the state meet last year as an eighth grader, and Tuesday he racked up 379.60 points.

 

Craddock, last year's district champ, overcame illness and her fear of reverse dives to finish with 305.10 points.

 

There are 24 regional berths allotted for Region 1 which houses 12 districts. Divers must record at least 280 points to qualify for regionals, which may open up an at-large berth for All Saints' Alex Prati, who finished third with 299.15 points.

 

Results

 

Boys

 

1. Mitch Devore (LC) 422.70, 2. Robby Costine (FM) 379.60, 3. Josh Gaidos (AP) 292.80, 4. Johnny Griddle (LP) 269.10, 5. Clay Sapp (LP) 259.00, 6. Morgan Harrison (ASA) 255.25, 7. Stephan Mutz (LC) 252.60, 8. Lance Feagley (LP) 249.15, 9. Domonic Hutchins (AP) 236.00, 10. Dylan Methot (ASA) 212.95, Matt McCall (LP) 172.75.

 

Girls

 

1. Abby Thompson (LW) 308.55, 2. Mabry Craddock (ASA) 305.10, 3. Alex Prati (ASA) 299.15, 4. Erika Cord (FM) 265.00, Kendra Hess (LP) 262.95, 5. Michelle Hunter (LP) 257.55, Natalie Branstrator (LP) 225.95), Ashlee Holder (LP) 178.55.