KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Cassidy Krug (Coraopolis, Pa./Stanford, Calif.) came from behind to win the women’s 3-meter title and a berth on the 2012 FINA World Cup team, and David Bonuchi (Columbia, Mo.) won the men’s 1-meter gold Wednesday at the USA Diving Winter National Championships.
Krug scored 1046.35 points over three lists of dives to edge 2008 Olympian Christina Loukas (Riverwoods, Ill./The Woodlands, Texas) by 1.35 points to win her fifth national title on 3-meter and 10th overall. Loukas also earned a spot on the World Cup team with her silver medal finish.
Krug was in fourth place after Tuesday’s quarterfinals and stood in third place – 16.8 points out of first – after Wednesday morning’s semifinals.
“The finals felt great. I knew I had to make up some ground, and although I wasn’t happy with everything I did, I was pretty happy overall,” Krug said. “The competition was great. I was neck and neck with Christina, and that always makes it fun to be in a competition like that.”
Krug and Loukas were in a battle with Olympian Kelci Bryant (Chatham, Ill./Minneapolis, Minn.), the leader after the semifinals, for the national title and the two spots on the World Cup team. Bryant missed her second dive in the finals for just 46.50 points, opening the door for Loukas and Krug, who battled back and forth for the top spot. Krug took the lead after round two, and Loukas earned 9s for 81 points on her back 2 ½ pike to take the lead after three rounds. Krug regained the lead after round four with 76.50 points on her reverse 2 ½ pike and followed up with 72 points on her front 2 ½ with a twist in the last round to hold on to first place.
In another comeback, Bonuchi scored 429.20 points to win his first senior national title on 1-meter a day after barely making it into the final. In Tuesday’s semifinals, Bonuchi was leading after two rounds but failed his third dive and dropped to 23rd place with three dives to go. He managed to climb his way back into eighth place to secure the last spot in the finals.
“I was grateful to be in the finals. It was time to have some fun. I know how to do these dives, and I wanted to prove that I deserved to be here,” Bonuchi said.
In the finals, Bonuchi took the lead in the second round and held on to the top spot for the duration of the contest. He secured the victory after earning marks as high as 9.5 for 84 points on his last dive of the night, a reverse 1 ½ with 2 ½ twists.
Michael Wright (Forest Park, Ill./Knoxville, Tenn.), the 2010 winter national champion, scored 404.20 points for silver, and Thomas Neubacher (Windermere, Fla./Tallahassee, Fla.) finished third with 391.05 points.
Men’s 10-meter competition also began Wednesday with quarterfinal action. 2008 Olympian David Boudia (Noblesville, Ind./West Lafayette, Ind.) earned 10s on three of his dives to lead the field with 543.65 points heading into Thursday’s semifinals. 2008 Olympian Thomas Finchum (Indianapolis, Ind.) also earned 10s on two dives to finish with 517.95 points, good for second place. Toby Stanley (Conway, Ark./Indianapolis, Ind.) is in third at 446.25.
The USA Diving Winter National Championships and World Cup Trials conclude Thursday with men’s 10-meter and women’s synchronized 3-meter competition.