Divers finish off sweep at America East Championships

The Binghamton divers closed out a tumultuous and uncertain year in the grandest possible way.

The Bearcats swept both diving titles on the final day of the America East Championships on Sunday at the Saunders Aquatic Center. Senior Sophia Howard captured the women’s one-meter event while fellow senior David Walters was victorious in the men’s one-meter competition. With the victories, both Walters and Howard won both of their diving events during the weekend and were named the Men’s and Women’s Most Outstanding Divers respectively.

With sophomore Ryan Cohn and senior Erik Temple placing second and third in the men’s three-meter event, the Bearcat men swept all three medals for the second day in a row. On Saturday in the men’s one-meter event, Temple was second and Walters was third.

The diving championships were moved to the week before the America East swimming meet (which will take place at NJIT this coming Friday-Sunday) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For most of the year, the continuing pandemic forced the Bearcats to adjust their training in order to stay safe. The weekend’s accomplishments, therefore, are all the more meaningful for the Bearcat divers.

“It’s very overwhelming right now,” diving coach Heather Colby said. “Everyone trained so hard this year and has been through so much with the uncertainty about competing this year. I couldn’t be prouder of all of our divers this weekend.”

In the final event of his illustrious career, Walters turned in a career-best score of 312.00, which is the fourth-best mark in program history. He becomes the first Bearcat to be named the Most Outstanding Diver twice during his career, having also earned the honor in 2018. Walters concludes his career with three individual America East titles as well as four all-conference accolades.

This marks the third time in four years that Binghamton has produced the America East Men’s Most Outstanding Diver. Chris Egan won the award last year.

“Everybody did phenomenally well this weekend,” he said. “We all made sacrifices this year and didn’t have the typical college experience. But everyone bought into what we were trying to accomplish and put their heart and soul into getting here and making the most of it.”

Howard, meanwhile, recorded a score of 266.40 to win her second title in as many days. She concludes her run at Binghamton as a three-time all-conference honoree. The titles she won this weekend were the first of her career.

“Winning the three meters last night took the pressure off of me today since that is my harder board,” she said. “I was able to relax and I couldn’t have asked for today to work out any better.”

Freshmen Marisa Lee and Lindsey Weissman were fourth and fifth in the women’s one-meter event with scores of 219.50 and 217.00 respectively. Weissman was third in the women’s three-meter event on Saturday while Lee was sixth.

Binghamton has now posted the America East Most Outstanding Women’s Diver in two out of the last three years. Amanda McGraw won the award in 2019.

Since Colby took over as the Binghamton diving coach in 2015, the Bearcats have won a combined total of seven America East individual titles. In addition, eight different divers have posted a combined total of 11 all-conference appearances.

“Heather means everything to our program,” Walters said. “She is such a big part of who I have become as a diver and as a person.”

“She makes the program,” Howard said. “Heather made my three years here and I wouldn’t have traded my experience for anything. She is the best.”

NOTE: The scores of the diving meet will be added to next week’s swimming & diving championships … America East All-Conference honors are awarded to the top three-individual finishers in a swimming or diving event at the championship meet.