Miranda, Forney finish at top of the field in Metro dive finals

04/30/2015

The Metro Conference diving championship meet took place Thursday afternoon at the Parkway pool. The combined field of male and female divers from the Mesa and South Bay leagues totaled 28 – 15 boys and 13 girls.

Hilltop senior Kennedy Miranda repeated as the Mesa League girls champion while Olympian junior Heath Forney recorded a breakthrough moment by winning this year’s Mesa League boys title.

Both Kennedy (188.9 points) and Forney (180.1 points) recorded the top marks on the day inclusive of divers from both leagues.

Both divers will carry the torch for the conference in the upcoming section championship meet.

“This was my first big meet here today and I’m looking forward to competing in CIF, though I feel a little nervous about that since it’s my first time.”

Forney, a second-year diver, displayed little penchant for nervousness on the board Thursday afternoon. He scored well on his consistently-high scoring dives while also inserting new dives into his card.

The six-foot-two, 160-pound Olympian diver finished with a 16.4-point scoring bulge on Hilltop’s Angel Soto, who placed runner-up in the Mesa League boys field with a personal-best 163.7 points.

Hilltop junior Josh Fischer finished third with 139.55 points while Otay Ranch’s Jesus Martin placed fourth with 138.2 points.

The boys field proved exceptionally competitive. Only 3.45 points separated third place from sixth place among Mesa League male divers.

Hilltop’s Daniel Ryan finished fifth with 136.2 points while sophomore teammate Elliott Osborn placed sixth with 136.1 points – just one-tenth of a point behind.

Miranda, whose best point total on the season is 215, finished at the top of a field of 12 divers. She won last year’s league title with 186.6 points.

Mar Vista’s Dakotah Strother, last year’s South Bay League champion, finished runner-up in this year’s Mesa League championship meet with 140.6 points. Mar Vista teammate Tatyana Garcia placed third with 139.5 points, followed by Hilltop’s Marisa Alfaro (fourth, 136.9 points) and Veronica Sanderlin (fifth, 136.0 points).

The Mesa League girls field also proved very competitive with just 3.55 points separating four divers.

Mar Vista’s Sydney Snaith finished sixth with 135.95 points.

Castle Park senior Karla Gonzalez completed her first year of diving by winning the South Bay League girls championship with 102.25 points. She also competes in girls wrestling and track and field and is involved in the school’s Associated Student Body organization.

She is a state qualifier in girls wrestling.

San Ysidro’s Angel Rodriguez won the South Bay League boys championship with 113.05 points. Southwest’s Francisco Montes placed runner-up with 109.2 points.

Three male divers broke the 100-point mark in the South Bay League as Castle Park senior Balan Mora finished third with 103.25 points.

Eight girls from the Mesa League surpassed 100 points. Mar Vista’s Kyleigh Becker finished seventh with 127.3 points, followed by Hilltop’s Mia Ballesteros in eighth place with 118.1 points.

Metro Conference Diving Championship Meet

Thursday, April 30 at Parkway pool, Chula Vista

Mesa League Boys Finals