November 2, 2007

Kassidy Cook wins another gold as U.S. claims three gold and four bronze medals on day two of Junior Pan Ams 

SAN JUAN , Puerto Rico – Kassidy Cook (The Woodlands, Texas) earned her second gold medal of the 2007 Junior Pan American Diving Championships as the United States won three golds and four bronze medals Friday, giving the U.S. contingent 16 medals in two days.

This time Cook turned in a dominating performance in the girls’ 12-13 3-meter competition, winning the gold by nearly 35 points a day after taking the 1-meter crown by less than three points. Cook scored 331.30 points on 3-meter, while silver medalist Monica Amaral of Brazil took second with 297.70 points. Cook has won five golds at the last two Junior Pan Am meets.

The U.S. also picked up a pair of golds in the 11-under category, with Steele Johnson (Carmel, Ind.) winning the boys’ platform title and Sarah Bacon (Indianapolis, Ind.) taking the girls’ 1-meter gold. Johnson won the platform title with 311.05 points for his second medal of the Championships, having won silver on 1-meter Thursday. Bacon scored 242.95 for the 1-meter gold, and USA teammate Wallace Layland (Orlando, Fla.) totaled 224.55 points for bronze on that event.

Two other U.S. divers won bronze medals on platform in their respective age groups. Vennie Dantin (Conroe, Texas) scored 361.00 points for a girls’ 16-18 bronze, and Andrew Cramer (Indianapolis, Ind.) finished with 332.70 points in the boys’ 12-13 age group.

Harrison Jones (Spring, Texas) added another bronze to USA’s totals after scoring 470.05 points for third in the boys’ 16-18 1-meter competition.

In other action Friday, Kristian Ipsen (Clayton, Calif.)took fourth in the boys’ 14-15 platform with 395.05 points, and David Bonuchi (Columbia, Mo.) was eighth at 327.35. The U.S. got sixth-place finishes from Joseph Dowd (Orlando, Fla.) in the 11-under platform contest (236.20) and Ryan Helms (Moultrie, Ga.) on 1-meter in the 16-18 category (457.60). Annika Lenz (Altadena, Calif.) took eighth with 255.15 on 3-meter in the 12-13 division.

The meet continues through November 4, with seven events on tap for Saturday.

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