Vailance in command

Press, 12 March 1985, Page 38

Vailance in command

Raymond Vailance (Nel-son-Marlborough) maintained his superiority over his rivals in the springboard events when he won the men’s three metre title at the B.N.Z. national diving championships at the Queen Elizabeth II Park pool last evening. Vailance had been a decisive winner of the one metre championship on Saturday evening. Titles were shared, however, in the women’s springboard events. Nicky Cooney (Waikato), who had been runner-up to Susan Stewart (Nelson-Marlborough) in the women’s one metre dive on Saturday turned the tables in the three metres cham-

pionship. Cooney prevailed by 12 points. Jason Snell led the Waikato dominance of the boys’ 13 to 14 years age group. He easily retained his title in the one metre springboard dive and bettered his national record in doing so. Snell received 275.90 points, well ahead of the 248.52 he scored last year and, as he had in the three metre event on Sunday, he forced his teammates, Shane Mathie and David Finnie, into the minor placings. A diver from Eastern Districts competed for the first time in many years, and Robbie Reid proved a worthy representative in

finishing fourth. Another diver to take a second title was Kim Hudson, also from Waikato. She comfortably won the three metre springboard yesterday from Ann Wheeler (Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay), who was the runner-up to Hudson in the one metre championship on Sunday. Results:— Boys’ 13 and 14 years, one metre springboard. — Jason Snell (Waikato), 275.90, 1; Shane Mathie (Waikato), 253.75, 2; David Finnie (Waikato), 231.25, 3; Robbie Reid (Eastern Districts), 202.00, 4. Girls’ 15 to 17 years, one metre springboard. — Safia Sahinovic (Auckland), 338.40,

1; Dominie Cresswell (Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay), 314.15, 2; Julie Gallic (Southland), 299.40, 3. Girls’ 13 and 14. years, three metre springboard. — Kim Hudson (Waikato), 280.95, 1; Ann Wheeler (Hawke’s BayPoverty Bay), 263.90, 2; Catherine Thomson (Wairarapa), 257.05, 3. Men’s three metre springboard. — Raymond Vailance (Nelson-Marlborough), 552.93, 1; other placings not yet available. Women’s three metre springboard. — Nicky Cooney (Waikato), 452.76, 1; Susan Stewart (Nelson-Marl-borough), 440.22, 2; Joanne Meehan (Otago), 358.56, 3.