[ HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS ]
Wallace, Monden set
state diving records
Everything was different about the diving portion of this year's state swimming and diving championships except the result.
Punahou's Drew Wallace and St. Andrew's Aleia Monden defended their state championships in the 1-meter dive yesterday in Wailuku, overcoming brisk winds and a gathering storm to each set a state record.
Wallace, a junior, destroyed his own state record in the event, ignoring the brisk breeze and dark clouds to score 484.5 points. He set the state record last year on a sunny day at Duke Kahanamoku pool with 439.65 points.
Punahou, which has had its 40th state title on hold since 2001, will take a seven-point lead over Kaiser because the Buffanblu's Michael Ono took the silver medal with 423.45 points. Michael Doe of Kaiser was third with 417.75.
Monden, a sophomore, erased the state record in the girls event in much the same way Wallace surpassed his own. The difference was that the girls record had stood for more than 20 years and was held by an icon of the sport. Monden scored 471.65 points to beat Sandra Serai's record of 452.40 set in 1983 while diving for University. Serai went on to become one of the state's best known diving coaches before dying last year.
Ronnie Oda of Kamehameha, who came in as the favorite because of her success in the regular season, was second behind Monden with 394.20 points and Lauren Pocherova of Punahou was third at 369.9.
Wallace and Monden had the stage all to themselves when swimming events were postponed until today. The diving events were also postponed for a brief time, but event organizers changed their minds and tried to get the competition in when an incoming storm stalled over Oahu.
Swimming is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at Coach Soichi Sakamoto Pool in the War Memorial Athletic Complex.
Instead of 45 trial heats and 22 finals, 67 races will be held, with final places determined by time rather than standing. The fastest eight swimmers in each preliminary will be seeded in the final.
