Gavin Day
JASPER — Gavin Day had a career night Tuesday.
The Columbus East junior broke Cordell Glass’ 11-dive school record with a 478.45 to finish second in the Jasper Diving Regional and qualify for the Boys Swimming and Diving State Finals for the second year in a row.
“I’m pretty happy,” Day said. “I just went out there and did my thing. I didn’t think too much about my dives. I just went out and did them, and that’s what helped me break the record.”
New Albany’s Colin Kruer won with 511.25 points. The top eight qualified for Saturday’s state finals at IUPUI’s Indiana University Natatorium.
Day got off to a strong start and led after five dives, when the field was cut from 20 to 16. He was in second after eight dives, when it was cut from 16 to 12.
“It was a great start,” Day said. “It definitely set the momentum for the meet.”
Day concluded the meet with a 60.45 on his 11th and final dive, an inward 2 1/2 somersault that he didn’t hit in Saturday’s North Sectional.
“Everything was going really well,” Day said. “All my dives were going a lot better than they were at sectional.”
Day broke the his personal record of 465.20 that he had set earlier this season in the Hoosier Hills Conference meet.
“He really was on his game tonight,” East assistant diving coach Nancy Snyder said. “He literally hit every single dive tonight, and he was just looking fantastic. On so many of his dives, he had beautiful height, good distance and perfect entries, which is where the high scores are going to come from.”
Day hopes to fare far better at state this year than last year, when he was eliminated after the round of five dives.
“I want to make it to finals, and also, I want to have a fun time,” Day said.
