Ten Divers Named To 2023 U.S. Pan American Team
Ten divers, including three Olympians, will represent the United States at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. Diving events will take place October 20-25.
Tokyo bronze medalist Krysta Palmer (Reno, Nev./Nevada Diving) and 2020 Olympians Tyler Downs (Ballwin, Mo./RipFest) and Hailey Hernandez (Southlake, Texas/University of Texas) headline a team that includes several other divers who represented the U.S. at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan this summer.
Palmer and Hernandez will represent the U.S. women on 3-meter, the event in which Palmer won Olympic bronze in Tokyo. Hernandez finished sixth in the event at the World Championships in July.
Downs and Jack Ryan (Denver, Colo./Stanford University) will compete in men’s 3-meter. Downs dove 3-meter in Tokyo and was a finalist on the event at this year’s World Championships. Ryan finished fourth on 3-meter at the 2023 USA Diving National Championships.
The Pan American Games will serve as an opportunity for countries to qualify for the Olympic Games, as the winner of each individual Olympic event will secure their country a quota spot. The U.S. has already earned its maximum two 3-meter spots, but a win in women’s 10-meter or men’s 10-meter at the Pan American Games would qualify the U.S. for the Olympic Games in those events.
Max Flory (Fairfax, Va./University of Miami) and Jordan Rzepka (Solon, Ohio/Purdue University) will compete in men’s 10-meter. Flory finished 16th in the 10-meter event at the World Championships this summer, while Rzepka won the event at the 2022 USA Diving Winter National Championships.
Nike Agunbiade (Pacifica, Calif./University of Southern California) and Jordan Skilken (Columbus, Ohio/University of Texas) will represent the United States in the women’s 10-meter event. Agunbiade competed 10-meter at the World Championships, where she finished 22nd before going on to place 12th at the World Aquatics World Cup Super Final later in the summer. Skilken will make her international debut after winning silver on 10-meter at the 2022 USA Diving Winter National Championships and bronze at the 2023 USA Diving National Championships.
Hernandez will also compete in the 1-meter event along with Joslyn Oakley (Mooresville, N.C./Texas A&M). Hernandez was a finalist on 1-meter at the World Championships. Oakley also competed on 1-meter at the 2023 World Championships, and she was the silver medalist on the event at the 2021 Junior Pan American Games.
Ryan and Lyle Yost (Shaker Heights, Ohio/Ohio State University) will dive men’s 1-meter. Ryan was the 2023 U.S. national champion on the event and was a finalist at worlds. Yost was the national runner-up and also competed at worlds, just missing a spot in the finals.
Competition will be streamed on the Pan Am Sports Channel.
2023 U.S. Pan American Team - Diving
Nike Agunbiade 10M Pacifica, Calif./Univ. of Southern California
Tyler Downs 3M, 3MS Ballwin, Mo./RipFest
Max Flory 10M, 10MS Fairfax, Va./University of Miami
Hailey Hernandez 1M, 3M, 3MS Southlake, Texas/University of Texas
Joslyn Oakley 1M Mooresville, N.C./Texas A&M
Krysta Palmer 3M Reno, Nev./Nevada Diving
Jack Ryan 1M, 3M, 3MS Denver, Colo./Stanford University
Jordan Rzepka 10M, 10MS Solon, Ohio/Purdue University
Jordan Skilken 10M, 3MS Columbus, Ohio/University of Texas
Lyle Yost 1M Shaker Heights, Ohio/Ohio State Univ.
Coach Members: Matt Scoggin (Head Coach), Dario DiFazio, Patrick Jeffrey, Hongping Li