2022 USA Diving U.S. Open Championships presented by Rocket Fizz begin with synchronized competitions
by USA Diving
Synchronized diving champions were crowned Thursday at the 2022 USA Diving U.S. Open Championships presented by Rocket Fizz at COM Aquatics in Midland, Texas.
Anne Fowler (Johansen Diving Academy)/Carolina Sculti (Unattached) won the women’s synchronized 3-meter, Aidan Wang (Ripfest)/Sam Oelerich (Ripfest) claimed the men’s synchronized platform title, Madison Huitt (Unattached)/Nike Agunbiade (Unattached) took women’s synchronized platform, and Jacob Welsh/Zachary Welsh (Mission Viejo) won men’s synchronized 3-meter.
Fowler and Sculti’s finished first with a scored 248.76, with their highest scoring dive of the competition coming in the fourth round on their back 2 ½ somersault pike, which scored 60.30 points. Bailee Sturgill (Ripfest)/Lily Witte (Wolverine Diving) placed second, just.48 points behind Fowler and Sculti with a score of 248.28. The bronze medal went to Taylor Fox (Mission Viejo)/Avery Giese (Mission Viejo) who finished with a total score of 225.96.
The men’s synchronized platform featured Wang and Oelerich against Olympian Brandon Loschiavo (Unattached) and Jordan Rzepka (Purdue Diving). Wang/Oelerich won the title by less than two points with a total score of 311.13 to Loschiavo and Rzepka’s 309.27. Wang and Oelerich’s highest scoring dive, a back 2 ½ somersault with 1 ½ twists pike, came in the final round and pushed them into first place. The U.S. Open was the first synchronized event for the pairing of Loschiavo/Rzepka. Loschiavo's last competition was the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he finished 11th in the individual platform event.
The Welsh brothers won in dominant fashion, finishing with a score of 332.46 to finish more than 23 points ahead of second place. In round three, Welsh and Welsh scored 65.70 points on their Inward 2 ½ somersault pike for their highest scoring dive. Dylan Reed (Pitt Aquatic Club)/Cameron Cash (Pitt Aquatic Club) placed second with a score of 308.64, and Nicholas Harris (TNT Diving)/Conor Gesing (TNT Diving) won the bronze medal with a score of 307.32.
Huitt/Agunbiade were the only competitors in the women’s 10-meter synchronized final and finished with 233.82 points.
Friday’s competition features the men’s 1-meter and women’s 3-meter final.