Flynn’s Performance Doesn’t Take a Dive

Between each dive, Christina Flynn of El Camino Real High practiced the motions she would attempt on the one-meter springboard in the City Section finals Friday at Valley College.

But she was just warming up.

Flynn, a senior bound for California on a partial diving scholarship, won the City girls’ title for the second consecutive year and broke her own school record for points.

“She couldn’t do less than that,” said Cristina Perovich, Flynn’s former club coach.

Flynn scored 502.85 points, breaking her school record of 499.70 points set last season. Her total gave her the title over El Camino Real teammate Melanie Henson and Cleveland’s Annie Brennglass.

Henson, who also finished second last season, scored 397.80 points.

Brennglass was third for the second time a row with 313.25.

“I really wanted to win,” said Flynn, who placed eighth in the three-meter springboard competition in the girls’ 16-18 division at a Junior Olympic regional meet two weeks ago in St. Louis. “I’m proud to go finish like this and go out on top.”

Despite a repeat finish among leaders from last year, the competition wasn’t as easy as 1-2-3 for other divers. The meet consisted of five compulsory and six optional dives from a one-meter springboard by each participant.

There were nine divers in the girls’ competition. But that was a crowd compared to the boys’ meet, in which only two divers competed. Sophomore Leonel Juarez of Roosevelt won with 268.70 points, well below Flynn’s score.

“That was unexpected,” Juarez said of the sparse field.

“I got here and went, ‘Whoa, I thought there’d be some boys here.’ It’s a little disappointing, but diving’s not that popular. Nobody knows about it. I just said I’ll do my best.”

Juarez’s best was good enough to top Travis Crowley of Venice, who scored 202.11.

Otherwise, the meet was dominated by Valley-area divers, who claimed the top six places in the girls’ competition.

After Flynn, Henson and Brennglass, Birmingham’s Lisa Herrera (297.45 points) and Rachelle Schwartz (279.45) were fourth and fifth, followed by Debra Oh of Kennedy (278.85).