DIVING / NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS : Nearly a Flop, Zarse Springs Back to Win

It appeared that Carrie Zarse went from national champion to also-ran when she splashed clumsily into the water on a reverse 1 1/2 somersault Thursday night.

As the scores rang in her ears--a chorus of 3 1/2s--Zarse returned to the board and tried to forget her gainer gone awry, which dropped her from first-place to fifth with two dives remaining in the one-meter spring board competition of the Phillips 66 Diving Championships at USC.

“I thought it was over after that dive,” said Zarse, 19, of Kimball Divers. “It was just a fluke. After that, I knew I had to do my last two dives well.”

In her trademark aggressive style, Zarse’s leaping ability enabled her to fit in the multiple parts of her ninth dive, a reverse 1 1/2 somersault with 1 1/2 twists. She scored 53.82 points on the dive, nearly doubling the score she received for her eighth dive, and moving her into second-place, 5.6 points behind Doris Glenn Easterly, 18, of Fort Lauderdale Diving.

Zarse, the top-seeded diver in the semifinals, had the advantage of diving last, whereas Easterly’s 12th seeding positioned her as the second diver in the round. Zarse also had an advantage over Easterly in the last round because Easterly’s last dive, a forward 1 1/2 somersault with one twist, merited a degree of difficulty of 2.2. Zarse’s final showing for the judges, an inward 1 1/2 somersault in the pike position, carried a degree of difficulty of 2.4.

Easterly scored 40 points on her last dive, leaving just enough room for Zarse to overtake her. Zarse’s swift aerial execution and knifelike entry ended the suspense. She racked up 56 points on the dive, defeating Easterly, 430.41 to 420.09, for her second consecutive one-meter national title.

“It was a nice feeling to come back and actually win,” Zarse said.

Melisa Moses, 21, of Orange Park, Fla., placed third with 417.87 points and Nancy Janik of Simi Valley and Rose Bowl Aquatics was fourth with 415.59.

Diving Notes

Barcelona Olympian Mary Ellen Clark, the leader after the first five dives (in the compulsory rounds), wound up sixth, but earned the artistic diver award. Carrie Zarse took the lead from Clark in the sixth round with her best dive of the night, a forward 2 1/2 somersault in the pike position. It yielded 61.62 points, including an 8 1/2 and two 8s. Clark’s late entry on a back 1 1/2 somersault ruffled the water in the sixth round and dropped her out of medal contention. . . . Easterly showed rapid improvement in placing second. She has only dove at the national level for two years and her highest previous finish was 11th. Moreover, she has dramatically increased her degree of difficulty.

Patrick Jeffrey scored 570.69 points in the semifinals of the platform competition to earn No. 1 seeding for Sunday’s finals. Jeffrey, 24, of Fort Lauderdale Diving, was a platform finalist in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. Jeffrey missed making the 1992 Olympic team when he placed fourth on platform at the U.S. trials. Pat Evans scored 565.56 points to take the second seeding. Evans, 27, missed making the ’92 Olympic team by one place. . . . Brian Earley and Nate Smith of the Mission Viejo Nadadores also made the 12-man cut for the finals. Earley’s performance was remarkable considering the two-time All-American from USC has been sidelined the past year because of a back injury. . . . John Sharkey plans to compete today at 10 a.m. in the men’s one-meter semifinals. Sharkey, 25, of Coral Springs, Fla., Diving team, hit his head on his final dive in Wednesday’s three-meter semifinals and opened a cut that required eight stitches to close. The women’s three-meter semifinals begin at 3 p.m., followed by the men’s one-meter finals.