Jan. 4, 2012
ATHENS, Ga. - Senior Auburn diver Vennie Dantin won the women's 3-meter event, and sophomore John Santeiu took top honors in the men's 1-meter competition to highlight Wednesday's action at the Georgia Diving Invitational.
Dantin earned a score of 337.25 in the final to continue her winning ways on the 3-meter board, posting her fifth win of the 2011-12 season in the event. Dantin was also the top qualifier with a 327.50 in the preliminary round, the only diver to top 300 points in the prelims. She was joined in the final by freshman Shanna Schuelein, who finished sixth with a 262.70, and freshman Cinzia Calabretta, who scored a 252.45 to finish in 12th place. Later in the evening, Dantin and Schuelein combined to take the top two spots in the 3-meter "shootout."
"Really strong performance today," Auburn diving coach Jeff Shaffer said. "Shanna probably had one of her best overall performances today. She really stepped up and learned how to compete. Vennie won the shootout and Shanna was second, so that was a really good performance on their part."
In the men's 1-meter competition, Santeiu was the top qualifier in prelims with a 320.50 to lead a three-diver Auburn contingent in the finals. The Auburn sophomore improved his score in the final with a 332.85 to take first place overall with a combined score of 653.35. Senior Adam Godzinski finished in eighth place with a 303.30, and sophomore Fraser McKean was 13th with a 284.60.
The Georgia Diving Invitational and Shootout wraps up Thursday with competition in the men's and women's platform events. Preliminaries get underway at 11 a.m. with finals to follow.