By Pauline Vu
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
MISSION VIEJO, Calif. ““ She was diving perfectly during
warm-ups, but when practice finished and the quarterfinals of the
women’s platform U.S. Senior Outdoor Diving Championships
really started, UCLA diver Regan Gosnell faltered.
With a score of 151.56 on Aug. 10, the sophomore-to-be took 27th
place out of 29 divers.
“It was horrible,” Gosnell said of her performance.
“I had a great warm-up. I just got nervous. I haven’t
competed at this high of a level enough to feel totally
comfortable.”
The meet was her third U.S. Senior Nationals. At her first one a
year ago, Gosnell placed 24th, and at her most recent Nationals
this past spring, she placed 19th and made it to the
semifinals.
Gosnell opened the meet poorly, slightly overtwisting on her
first dive. According to meet rules, that overtwist changed her
dive enough so that it was no longer considered the one she was
supposed to perform (before the meet, divers turn into the judges
what dives they are going to do). The judges gave her no
points.
Gosnell’s second dive was a huge improvement, with a 47.81
score. A good score per dive at Nationals was about 55-60.
But on her third dive she slipped again, scoring only 23.49, her
second lowest total of the day.
Gosnell said she was still affected by her no-scoring first
dive.
“I just had to come back from that mentally,”
Gosnell said. “I was just trying to separate what happened
(on the first dive) with good diving.”
Though her fourth dive was another low score at 32.40, Gosnell
managed to rebound a bit for her last dive. She scored a
respectable 47.86.
“I just wanted to finish and do something
semi-normal,” she said.
But her total of 151.56 was still not enough to put her in the
top 18 and push her into the semifinals.
“I don’t know what it is that I can completely
separate myself during warm-ups,” she said. “I’m
just not really happy.”
The field included five national team members and one of this
year’s Sydney-bound platform divers, Laura Wilkinson (Texas),
who placed first after the women’s platform finals on Aug.
13.
Asked about her Olympic preparation, Wilkinson’s response
was positive.
“I feel very good. I feel we’re right on
track,” she said. “I think we’re going to peak at
the right time.”