At last year's Dual County League championship, Lincoln-Sudbury diver Ryan Shelley set the competition's combined points record only to finish second to a same-day record-breaking performance by Concord-Carlisle's Sean O'Brien.
During Thursday's DCL boys diving championship, the Warriors senior didn't break any records, but he did enough to capture first place with 337.40 points
“It feels really nice to be able to win the DCL,” said Shelley. “Today everything felt really good.”
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Competing alongside teammate Anthony Foscolo at the Concord Beede Center, the senior defeated second-place junior Cody Fitzgerald from Concord-Carlisle by 144 points. Shelley believed above average scores on personally challenging dives, such as a 7.7 average score on a double twist, helped maintain a consistently strong scoring sheet.
Shelley scored 349.4 in last year's meet.
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“The (double twist) is a front one and a half with two twists,” said Shelley. “I started out pretty well, my twist was pretty tight, and my landing was good. I just really tried to focus.”
Fitzgerald scored 222.80 points to finish second at his home pool, while Wayland senior Austin Brennan scored 214.15 points to finished in third. Fitzgerald, who had been "struggling" with his backward double somersault, was able to pull off an average of six points on that dive.
“It felt like one of my best meets,” said Fitzgerald. “I usually under rotate, but today I landed it right. It feels really good to also have your friend here for support.”
Competing in diving for only his second week, Foscolo scored 103.45 points to finish 18th in the competition.
“Anthony is a brand new diver, so him taking 18th was a great accomplishment,” said L-S diving coach Kelley Reardon. “He has actually learned to use the board a little more, to jump higher and to use his arms a little more. He is getting more balanced on the board and trusting it more.”
Shelley will prepare to compete in MIAA North Sectional Tournament on Feb. 12 and the MIAA State Tournament on Feb. 18.
“Ryan has worked really hard this year so it has been a really good season,” said Reardon. “We will have a week to prepare for both tournaments."
