CLAREMONT, Calif.-- The Bakersfield diving teams had their best meet of the year at the Inland Empire Diving Invitational this weekend. The Roadrunners received strong performances all around with highlights from Brayden Greenwald and Carlee Burks.
“We came out confident right out of the gates, with a chip on our shoulders, and all of the divers dove extremely well,” said Ben Herboth, Bakersfield's Diving Coach. “I was very happy with how we competed as a team.” The Roadrunner women swept 1-2-3 in the 1m board and finished 1-3-4 in the 3m.
Burks (So., Bakersfield, Calif., Centennial HS) finished second in the 1m board with a score of 265.90. She then went on to win the 3m board in dominating fashion (291.35). Both scores were career highs for the sophomore from Bakersfield and both qualified her for the Zone E meet (a feat which no Roadrunner accomplished in 2013-14). Burks also cracked the CSUB all-time Top 5 in both events, ranking third in the 3m and fifth in the 1m. “Carlee came to play,” said Herboth. “She was no joke out there and showed the NCAA she's ready to be a player. She nailed a front 3.5 somersault on her way to a dominating win on the 3 meter. When she hit the front 3.5, the pool practically shut down.”
A former WAC Diver of the Week, Burks was not the only female Roadrunner to impress her coach this weekend: “This was the meet we've been waiting for from Sarah Barker and she really stepped up big time. She put together the best 1m meet of her diving career.” Barker (Jr., Indianapolis, Ind., Saint Bonaventure) won the 1m board for the second time this season with a career high 271.95. With the score, Barker edged her teammate for fourth all-time in CSUB history and will join Burks at the Zone E meet later this season. The pair's teammate Melissa Gore (So., Taft, Calif., Taft Union HS) performed well, finishing third on both the 1m and 3m.
On the men's side, Brayden Greenwald (Fr., Henderson, Nev., Coronado HS) picked up wins on both boards as he continued to dominate. Greenwald scored 282.20 (1m) and 292.80 (3m), both of which were career bests for the freshman. His 1m performance ranks him fourth all-time for CSUB in 1m scores. The freshman finished just ahead of his older brother, Tyler Greenwald (So., Henderson, Nev., Coronado HS), in both events. Herboth relishes having the pair on the team: “The Greenwald brothers continued their stellar season going 1-2 on both boards. It's encouraging to see the way that they push each other in practice and in meets.”
The men also got solid performances out of Justin Choi (Jr., Fullerton, Calif., Fullerton College) and Terrell Mauldin (Jr., Murrieta, Calif., Riverside CC). Choi posted season high scores in both boards while both divers earned praises from their coach: “Justin and Terrell really impressed me this meet. They didn't place as well as maybe they had hoped, but they really put together solid meets that served as encouragement for what they can do for us in the future.”
The Roadrunner divers will rejoin the swim teams when both squads return to the Hillman Aquatics Complex on campus, Saturday, Dec. 13, to host Cal Baptist in a dual.
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