Gagnet Rips His Way to Second Title

Louie Gagnet built such a big lead Tuesday afternoon at the Southern Section Division II boys’ diving finals that he could have fallen off the springboard, plunged backward into the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps pool on his final attempt and still won his second championship.

But Gagnet, a University senior, put the finishing touches on a record-setting performance by sticking a difficult reverse 1 1/2 somersault-3 1/2 twist off the three-meter board to bring his final scoring total to 640.95 points. That total shattered the previous division record by nearly 40 points. That was set by Laguna Hills’ Mike Hilde, who scored 601.80 last season when he was at Servite.

Gagnet said afterward that he had Hilde’s record in mind when he climbed to the top of the tower for the last time. Hilde and Gagnet are diving teammates at the Mission Viejo Nadadores.

“I came into this meet to do my best and break the record,” said Gagnet, who finished second in Division II last season behind his close friend Hilde. “That record. It was one of the things I wanted.”

Gagnet’s biggest opponent in the hot and smoggy conditions quickly became his own psyche. He opened a huge lead after only his second attempt, a back dive in the pike position off the one-meter board that drew scores of four nines and one 10 from judges. He went on to beat his nearest competitor, La Crescenta Crescenta Valley’s Joey Castellani, by 150 points.

“I think I dive best when I dive against myself,” Gagnet said.

He faltered only once in his 11 attempts, on his eighth dive, a reverse 3 1/2 somersault in the pike position from the three-meter board. He received scores from five to seven, which was a low for him.

But he recovered nicely on his next attempt, getting all eights for a forward 1 1/2 somersault and twist into the free position from the one-meter board. Gagnet, who has signed with Florida State, also won the Division II title in 1999 and finished second in 1998.

“I’m very happy with my high school career,” Gagnet said. “But it seems like it just flew by.”

Ronald Morris of Kennedy was the next-best finisher among Orange County competitors, placing fifth.

Junior Kristin Littell of Chino Hills Don Lugo, who dives for the Mission Viejo Nadadores, won her third consecutive girls’ title, scoring a record 553.10 points. The old mark of 529.25 was set in 1994 by Sandy Zubrin of Corona del Mar.