U.S. Diving : Megan Neyer Wins Seventh 1-Meter Title

Megan Neyer, doing her best to soothe the pain of not qualifying for the U.S. team for the World Championships, won her seventh consecutive national 1-meter title Thursday at the Phillips 66/U.S. Diving Championships.

Earlier in the day, Greg Louganis, Neyer’s teammate with the Mission Bay Makos of Boca Raton, easily placed first in the men’s 3-meter springboard qualifying. The 26-year-old two-time Olympic gold medalist hasn’t lost in that event since 1981.

In the women’s 1-meter finals, Neyer took the lead after the seventh round of dives and never looked back. Her Mission Bay teammates, Wendy Wyland, Wendy Lucero and Michele Mitchell rounded out the top four, exchanging positions throughout the 10-dive contest.

Neyer finished with 473.55 points, while Wyland had 444.54, Lucero 439.69 and Mitchell 424.32.

Neyer, 24, made the 1980 U.S. Olympic team but finished a disappointing fourth on the 3-meter springboard and 11th on the platform in the 1984 Olympic trials. When she faltered again last week in the U.S. Olympic Festival, Neyer lost her chance to defend the world springboard title she won four years ago.

Louganis, who has won national 3-meter titles 14 times, qualified with 680.37 points. Mark Bradshaw was a distant second with 630.96 points, and Mike Wantuck was third with 608.52. Bradshaw and Wantuck compete for the McDonald’s Divers of Columbus, Ohio.