San Lorenzo Valley High junior Dasha Airumian captured the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League title last week and is off to the Central Coast Section championship.
Airumian’s score of 313.80 for 11 dives easily qualified her for the CCS meet, scheduled for May 12 at George F. Haines International Swim Center in Santa Clara.
Airumian, who calls her gainer — a backward somersault — her best dive, has been diving for three years at SLV under the coaching of Bill Sales.
“This is the best diving I have ever seen her do,” Sales said following the April 26 final at the SLV pool.
She was pleased to be heading to sectional competition for the first time.
“It feels amazing,” Airumian said. “It’s a dream come true.”
The local school district will also be represented by Scotts Valley High’s Sam Braverman, who qualified with a score of 301.60, easily surpassing the 280 points needed to dive at CCS.
Carley Arana from SLV finished third with 267.20.
On the junior varsity side, SLV’s Ali Rosario finished first, followed by teammates Ashley Rutherford and Ashli Buts. Alex Sierant of Scotts Valley High was the lone JV boy competing.
Participation in the league has fallen off sharply in the past several years after several new high school pools were built without diving boards and a coach from Harbor High left and was never replaced, Ayers said. He said the divers from Scotts Valley and SLV high schools practice together and have to travel outside the county — such as to a recent meet at Carmel High School — for competition.
Swimmers compete in league meet
The San Lorenzo Valley boys finished fourth at the SCCAL finals at the SLV pool on Saturday, April 28.
Russel Hovendahl finished sixth in the 200-meter freestyle in 2 minutes, 5.30 seconds. Devon Northcott took third in the 500 freestyle in 5:11.64 and second in the 100 breast stroke in 1:09.25. Jacob Kersten (2:21.21) and Sam VanPykren (2:22.36) finished fifth and sixth, respectively, in the 200 intermediate medley. Teams from SLV finished fourth in the 200 medley relay (1:54.34), fifth in the 200 freestyle relay (1:43.26) and third in the 400 freestyle relay (3:38.65).
On the girls side, Scotts Valley finished fifth overall with 99 points, and SLV was sixth with 92 points.
For the Falcons, Aria Leonard won the 100 breaststroke in 1:13.22 and took third in the 50 freestyle (26.35). In the 200 intermediate relay, Savanah Wohlstatter finished second (2:34.27).
The Scotts Valley team was disqualified in the 200 medley relay, but teams took fourth in 200 freestyle relay and fourth in the 400 freestyle relay.
For SLV, Hayley Smith took fifth in the 100 backstroke (1:08.06). The SLV teams fished sixth in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays.
