Divers Conquer All at Invite

The Harvard men’s and women’s diving teams soared to victory in the Collegiate Diving Invitational, despite the absence of their usual swim team counterparts.

The meet consisted of only diving, with Crimson divers competing in the one-meter and three-meter events.

“It was nice to be able to focus just on the diving and be able to really watch everyone,” said freshman diver Samantha Papadakis. “But I have gotten really used to the swimmers being there and cheering us on. It was just different not having them there.”

Both the men’s and women’s teams faced off against Northeastern, Boston College, MIT, Boston University, University of Massachusetts, Bentley College, and Simmons College, but the Crimson took most of the top spots in both events.

“It is really nice to be on a team that is known as a whole team and not just as one or two of its members,” Papadakis said. “I am really proud of our little team.”

Papadakis shone at the meet, winning both the one-meter and three-meter diving events.

The freshman won by a large margin of points, with 7.1 and 19.6 points separating her from the No. 2 diver in both two events.

“I was really tired and so I was surprised at how well I did,” Papadakis said. “I was comfortable and I was able to perform really well because of [that].”

The three other women divers also put in strong performances.

Freshman Alison Pipitone placed third in the one-meter and fifth in the three-meter events.

Co-captain Anne Osmun placed fourth in the one-meter and third in the three-meter, and sophomore Annika Giesbrecht placed sixth in the one-meter and seventh in the three-meter event.

“We know we are a strong team and we can get out there and perform like this,” Papadakis said. “So it didn’t come as a shock that we did this well.”

The men’s divers were not about to be shown up by the women’s stellar performances.

Only two divers competed for the Harvard men’s diving team, compared to the four that the woman had, but those two divers placed in the top four in both events.

“We are definitely the strongest in the Ivy League as a team,” freshman Lucas Sanders said. “In most meets this year we usually go one-two, and no other team usually does that in the league.”

Junior Danil Rybalko won the one-meter event with a score of 309.95, 13.05 points above the second place finisher. Rybalko also placed fourth in the three-meter.

But while Rybalko may have had a comfortable win, Sanders blew the competition out of the water in the three-meter event. Sanders won the event easily with a score of 569.10, 32.35 points above the second place finisher.

“I am really excited about [my performance],” Sanders said. “Especially to do so well in three-meter with 11 dives, not six.”

Sanders also had a second great performance when he placed third in the one-meter event earlier that day.

“I woke up this morning with the intention of placing in the top three,” Sanders said. “And I did so I was really happy about it.”

—Staff writer Abigail M. Baird can be reached at ambaird@fas.harvard.edu.