BOUDIA WINS 10-METER PLATFORM FOR 16TH CAREER NATIONAL TITLE    

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.  Highlighted by six perfect 10s on his final dive of the event, former Purdue diver David Boudia won the 10-meter platform Thursday on the final day of the USA Diving Winter Nationals to claim his 16th career national title.

Boudia won each of the three rounds over the two days of platform competition, finishing with a cumulative three-round score of 1,599.90. He closed the Winter Nationals with a score of 108 points on a back 2 ½ somersault 2 ½ twist pike. He earned six perfect 10s and a 9 ½ on the judges’ scorecards for that dive.

Fellow Purdue alumnus Danny Cox also performed well in the 10-meter platform, finishing eighth with 1,137.25 points over the three rounds. Thirty-one divers began the two-day competition in Wednesday’s quarterfinals, including current freshman Sean Mokhtari. He finished 27th with 264.90 points after qualifying for the championship rounds in the preliminaries last week.

Wednesday, alumnus Erin Mertz finished seventh in the finals of the 3-meter springboard with a score of 904.55. She jumped two spots in the final standings after qualifying for the finals in ninth place. The quarterfinals of that event featured 34 divers.

Boudia locked up his individual spot in the 10-meter platform competition at the FINA World Cup, set for February in London. He will also compete in the synchronized 10-meter platform with Nick McCrory at the World Cup. McCrory did not compete individually in the 10-meter platform this week at the Winter Nationals.

Boudia has won the individual and synchronized 10-meter platform titles at the Winter Nationals each of the last three years. In July, the six-time NCAA champion won a silver medal at the FINA World Championships in China, becoming the first American man to medal in the 10-meter platform since 1986.

Boudia was at his best in the finals, scoring an event-high total of 554.05 points on his final list. He scored over 100 points on each of his final two dives and three times total. An award of 104.40 on his fifth dive of the quarterfinals, a back 3 ½ somersault pike, highlighted his round score of 543.65 points that gave him an early lead.

Cox’s top score of the competition was a 79.20 on a back 3 ½ somersault tuck, his third dive of the quarterfinals. Mertz also posted her top score in the quarterfinals, a 69.75 a forward 3 ½ somersault pike, her fourth dive of the list.

Boudia, Cox, Mertz along with Mary Beth Dunnichay, Michelle Cabassol and Casey Matthews had already qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials prior to the Winter Nationals. The divers that will represent Team USA at the 2012 Olympic Games in London will be selected at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Mokhtari and the other active Purdue divers will return to action for the Jan. 14 home dual meet against Michigan State. One men’s diver is also expected to travel with selected Purdue swimmers to Dallas that weekend for the Classic at SMU.