SOUTHERN SECTION 4-A DIVISION DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS : Royal’s Wood Uses Home Pool as Springboard to Victory

Ricky Wood of Royal High won the boys’ title in the Southern Section 4-A Division diving championships Wednesday at Rancho Simi Community Park with a section-record point total.

The senior scored 605.05 points in the one- and three-meter springboard competition to shatter the record of 576.05 set by Lawrence Roddick of Mission Viejo in 1985. Nate Smith of Dana Hills was second with 565.25 and freshman Tyce Routson of El Toro was third with 532.95. Irvine sophomore Zack Williams, the defending champion, was fourth with 473.20.

In the girls’ competition, Joy Burkholder of Capistrano Valley won with 466.5 points. Amy Palmer of Dana Hills finished second with 421.3 and Daryl Dolan of Simi Valley, the meet winner last year as a junior, took third with 417.75. Burkholder was the runner-up to Dolan in 1990.

For Wood, unable to participate last year because he was academically ineligible, the victory carried a bit of redemption. “I look at it as a learning year. Actually, a growing-up period,” said Wood, the national champion in the platform in the 16-18 age group. “I really wanted to win.”

Wood was not seriously challenged. “I felt a little nervous coming into (the meet) because of the home pool and everything,” Wood said. “I was also a little nervous going into my back two-and-half (in the eighth round). Other than that, I felt great.”

Wood received a low mark of 4 1/2 from one of the judges on that dive--which was thrown out with the high mark of 7 1/2.

“He could dive in his sleep,” Royal High Coach Judy Wedermann said of Wood. “It comes natural to him.”