June 18, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS - After the first six rounds of dives at the 2008 USA Diving Olympic Trials, Auburn sophomore Dan Mazzaferro finds himself in sixth place with a score of 409.90. David Boudia, of Noblesville, Ind., holds the lead after the first list with a score of 572.65.
Mazzaferro, a native of Cheshire, Conn., is competing in his first Olympic Trials, attempting to earn a spot at the USA Diving Olympic Selection Camp, July 2-6 in Knoxville, Tenn. The top six divers at the conclusion of the meet advance to the selection camp.
"I was very pleased with Dan's competitiveness tonight, almost every one of his dives he had a 7 on, which is a good indication of the consistency we have been working on," said Auburn head diving coach Jeff Shaffer. "We have to sharpen up some things for days two and three, but he has put himself in a pretty good position."
Mazzaferro was very consistent in his first five dives, scoring between 63-69.7 points per dive. But, he was saving his best for last as he scored an 81.6 on his final dive, a back 2.5 somersault 1.5 twist pike.
"I am happy with my performance tonight," said Mazzaferro. "I had some solid dives and I think if I get a little more dynamic in my dives, have some better entries, then I will get better with each list. My goal was to score 400 on each list, so with a 409 in the first one, I'm off to a good start."
As for the pressure of competing in his first Olympic trials, Mazzaferro shrugged it off saying that he is only concerned about himself.
"Tonight was exciting and I think I controlled everything pretty well," said Mazzaferro. "I'm not worried about anyone else, I have my own personal goals and I am out here to see what I can do."
Action in the USA Diving Olympic Trials continues Thursday at 1 p.m. with the preliminary round of the women's 3-meter springboard, followed by the men's 3-meter preliminary and platform semifinal at 7 p.m. The meet is taking place at the IU Natatorium on the IUPUI campus in Indianapolis, Ind.
Fans can follow the action with live scoring at www.DiveMeets.com.
Men's Platform Preliminary
1 - David Boudia - 572.65
2 - Thomas Finchum - 523.95
3 - Drew Livingston - 466.55
4 - J.J. Kinzbach - 428.40
5 - David Colturi - 412.80
6 - Dan Mazzaferro - 409.90
7 - Weston Wieser - 400.40
8 - Harrison Jones - 397.30
9 - Nick McCrory - 392.45
10 - Matthew Cooper - 385.55
11 - Sean Moore - 322.90
Dan Mazzaferro dive list and scores
1 - Armstand Back 2 Somersault 1.5 Twist Free (6243D) - 65.60
2 - Forward 3.5 Somersault Pike (107B) - 63.00
3 - Back 3.5 Somersault Tuck (207C) - 66.00
4 - Reverse 3.5 Somersault Tuck (307C) - 69.70
5 - Inward 3.5 Somersault Tuck (407C) - 64.00
6 - Back 2.5 Somersault 1.5 Twist Pike (5235B) - 81.60
Total: 409.90