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Despite a near career-best one-meter dive by senior Monica Dodson
and a Southeastern Conference Championship personal-best
three-meter dive by junior Anthony Lewark, Florida divers were
edged out of the top finishes Saturday by competition from USC,
LSU, Tennessee and Auburn.
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Dodson scored a 307.2 to take sixth place in the finals. Her
teammates, freshman Danielle Risley and junior Kaylee Doback,
earned points for the Gators with 14th and 16th place.
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Coach Donnie Craine said he’s very happy with Risley’s score of
258.75.
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“She and Kaylee, this is their first conference meet,” he said.
“She did really well, stepped up, and earned a point.”
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The men had several scoring finishes, placing sixth, 13th, 14th and
23rd in the three-meter preliminary round. Lewark, who has an
injured shoulder, but is still competing, took sixth in the
finals.
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said he was glad to place in the finals but had hoped for a higher
finish.
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caught the board more in finals than in prelims,” he said. “But I
missed one dive and that’s what took me out.”
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Craine said he was proud of Lewark’s finish and pleased with the
men’s effort today.
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“It was a little better today for the guys,” Craine said. “We
stepped up a little bit better. I think we’re going to have a good
day on the platform tomorrow.”
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The platform is considered the best event for both UF teams. Dodson
said she is hoping for another first-place finish to go with her
gold medal from Friday’s record-breaking three-meter win.
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“It’s one of my best events, it always has been, so I have a little
more confidence, but also a little more pressure on myself to do
well,” she said. “Hopefully I can use that pressure to have a good
performance.”
