Aug. 14, 2010

Purdue rising junior David Boudia provided the highlight of the 2010 AT&T National Diving Championships in College Station, Texas, by posting an American-record score of 605.40 points while winning the platform Saturday before adding another title in the synchronized platform later in the day.

“At this moment, this is one of the greatest accomplishments in my career,” Boudia said. “It beats being a four-time NCAA champion and everything just because I achieved the consistency that I’ve been searching for. To get this score is encouraging being two years away from (the 2012 Summer Olympics in) London.”

Boudia was awarded 19 total perfect 10s, with at least one on each of his six dives, from the judges. The Noblesville, Ind., native broke the American record of 551.20 he set at the USA Diving Winter Nationals earlier this year. He blew away the final field, defeating runner-up Harrison Jones by 124.1 points and third-place finisher Matthew Cooper by 135.7 points. Boudia’s win came as no surprise after he won both rounds Friday, scoring 548.70 in the preliminary and 530.25 in the semifinal.

Boudia also teamed with Duke sophomore and 2010 NCAA platform champion Nick McCrory to score 450.00 points and win the synchronized platform crown. Toby Stanley and Steele Johnson finished second with 333.57 points, while Michael DellOrco II and Zachary Nees totaled 316.65 points to take third.

Due to winning the preliminary round Tuesday with 459.15 points, Boudia and McCrory dove last in each round of the final and did not trail after taking their fourth dive of the competition. The duo had scored 360.09 points through five rounds, so the sixth dive was entirely academic as the title had already been wrapped up. Boudia’s two crowns Saturday push his career national title total to 12.

“These two titles are probably the most special because of the achievements” Boudia said. “To get to 605 points and then bounce right back and dive with Nick was special, and we are both excited for London in two years.”

Boudia is just one of five Boilermakers competing in the national championships this week. Rising senior Kara Cook, a native of The Woodlands, Texas, qualified for the women’s platform final by placing fifth in both the preliminary and semifinal rounds held Friday. She scored 298.70 points on her first list before posting a total of 292.45 in the semifinal. Maddie Miskulin, who redshirted the 2009-10 collegiate season in her first on Purdue’s campus, scored 234.70 points and finished 22nd in the event.

Cook’s classmate Erin Mertz advanced to the semifinal of the 3-meter springboard by scoring 273.15 points for the seventh-highest total in the preliminary round Wednesday. Later that day, she finished 17th in the semifinal with 241.50 points. Mertz also competed in the 1-meter event Wednesday and scored 200.80 points for 25th place.

Danny Cox joined Boudia in the platform competition. Cox scored 317.10 points to place 15th in the qualifying round, and then finished 14th in the semifinal with a score of 309.10.

The national championship meet concludes Sunday. Cook and the 11 other platform finalists make up the second event on the docket. Action begins at 1 p.m. ET with the men’s 3-meter final.

Purdue Boilermakers