Connor Makes Dives Count

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Perseverance paid off for Palisades High senior Parker Connor, who won the City Section girls diving championship last Tuesday at Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center.

After placing fifth last season, Connor took first place this time with a cumulative score of 443.95 after 11 dives off the 1-meter springboard— using consistency and a carefully planned repertiore to beat runner-up Ava San Jose of Granada Hills by 17.75 points.

“I’ve been training consistently and practicing more difficult dives for the past year,” said Connor, whose favorite is the back one-and-a-half-flip with one and a half twists. “I love the harder dives but there is strategy in deciding whether to leave them out. There are some really good divers on my own team so I didn’t think I’d get first.”

Connor’s highest score of the day was an 8.5 on a one-half flip with a front full twist, which she purposely picked as one her first three dives. She not only won a gold medal, she earned 20 precious points that counted towards’ Palisades’ team total at the City swim finals four days later. Fellow Dolphins Noelle Tobin (417.20), Sophia Bleau (321.70) and Helena Gabrielsen (237.90) placed third, fourth and sixth, respectively, at their home pool. San Pedro’s Sophia Fourmy (293.20) was fifth.

Connor greatly improved on last year’s score (377.95) when Elle Crisostomo of Harbor Teacher won and Catherine Hart of Palisades was second. The last Dolphin winner was Maya Salvitti in 2021.

Josiah Rosales-Cristales, a 14-year-old freshman from Hawkins who taught himself howe to dive by watching YouTube videos, accumulated 278.80 points to win the boys title over a trio of Dolphins. Gabriel Atkinson-Mann was second with a score of 272.45, Charles Shortt (258.50) was third and Anthony Navarrete (251.50) was fourth.

“I was worried at first but as I did more dives I saw I had a chance at first or second,” Rosales-Cristales said. “I want to come back next year.”