Dumais, Wilkinson Win Diving U.S. Titles
 

MISSION VIEJO, Calif. (AP) – Olympians Troy Dumais and Laura Wilkinson tuned up for the Athens Games next month by winning titles Sunday at the U.S. National Diving Championships.
Dumais won the men's 3-meter springboard by almost 100 points over his nearest challenger for his third straight U.S. title in the event.

Wilkinson took the women's 10-meter platform for the third year in a row and fifth year in the last six, defeating her closest rival by more than 50 points.

Dumais was sixth in the 2000 Olympics and Wilkinson was champion in Sydney. Dumais, of Ventura, Calif., beat runner-up Mitchell Richeson 707.07 points to 610.44.

"It was good," Dumais said. "But still not as good as you need to be at the Olympics. I still need to clean up a few things, but other than that I felt great. During this meet I wanted to test myself and push myself."

Dumais and his brother, Justin, later won the synchronized 3-meter springboard championship.

Wilkinson was in third place after the qualifying rounds Friday, but rallied Sunday with dives that received increasingly higher marks. She took the lead after the second of five rounds, then recorded marks of no worse than 8.0 from each of the judges on her last three dives.

She led Sara Hildebrand 578.37 to 523.53. Brittany Viola, the 17-year-old daughter of former Minnesota Twins pitcher Frank Viola, was third with 492.24 points.

Olympic team members Hildebrand and Cassandra Cardinell won the synchronized 10-meter platform championship.

"I wanted to do well here to build my confidence and I think I did that," Wilkinson said. "There was a lot of pressure for the Olympians at this meet because everyone else wanted to knock us off.".

 

RESULTS  
Tuesday, July 20
Women's Synchro 3M Prelims
Men's Synchro 10M Prelims
Men's Synchro 3M Prelims
Women's Synchro 10M Prelims
Wednesday, July 21
Women's 3M Quarterfinal and Semifinal
Men's 1M Quarterfinal, Semifinal and Final
   

Thursday, July 22
Men's 3M Quarterfinal and Semifinal
Women's 1M Quarterfinal and Semifinal and Final

Friday, July 23
Women's 10M Quarterfinal and Semifinal
Men's 10M Quarterfinal and Semifinal
   
Saturday, July 24
Women's 3M Final
Men's 10M Final
Women's Synchro 3M Final
Men's Synchro 10M Final
Sunday, July 25
Women's 10M Final
Men's 3M Final
Women's Synchro 10M Final
Men's Synchro 3M Final

Additional reports are available at http://www.mvndive.com/Nationals/SeniorChampionships.htm.