Miami's Ross Collects Seventh Career All-America Honor
March 26, 2010
Indianapolis, Ind. – University of Miami senior diver Reuben Ross of the Hurricanes swimming and diving team completed his storied 1-meter springboard career at UM on Friday, taking fifth place, and yet another All-America honor, in the 1-meter springboard at the NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships in Columbus, Ohio. This year’s championships are taking place at the Bill and Mae McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion on the campus of Ohio State University.
Reuben Ross, a native of Regina, Saskatchewan (Canada), concluded one of the most storied 1-meter diving careers in UM history on Friday, picking up his seventh career All-America honor by finishing in fifth place on the 1-meter springboard, completing his last six dives with a total score of 395.80.
Ross began his final six dives in Orange and Green with a Back 1/2 Somersault Tuck to open his final round of scoring with a 67.50. He followed that with a Forward 3 1/2 Somersault Tuck for a 54.00. Ross sat in sixth place after two dives, trailing Purdue’s David Boudia – last year’s NCAA platform champion, as well as Florida State’s Terry Horner.
In his third dive, Ross bounced back with a score of 58.50, landing a Reverse 2 1/2 Somersault Tuck. But it was on his fourth dive that Ross made a surge in the standings. He nailed an almost-perfect Reverse 1 1/2 Somersault 2 1/2 Twist Free – one of his best dives throughout his career. On that dive, the 2008 NCAA champion (3-meter springboard) secured a score of 73.50 to vault back into fourth place.
In his next-to-last dive, Ross scored 62.40, turning in a Forward 2 1/2 Somersault 1 Twist Pike. His final dive as a Hurricanes student-athlete came by way of an Inward 2 1/2 Somersault Pike, scoring the Canadian Bronze medalist from the 2009 FINA World Championships (Men’s Synchronized 3-meter Springboard) captured a score of 79.90.
Those six dives gave him his seventh All-American crown, as he became the first male diver since Miguel Velazquez (2002-05) to capture All-American honors in each of his four years in Coral Gables. In the process, Ross joins former four-year All-America divers Bryan Gillooly (1995-98) and Chris Mantilla (1995-98) as the only Hurricanes male divers to do so since 1990.
For Ross, this is his third All-America honor in the 1-meter springboard, also having accomplished the task in 2007 and ’09.
Boudia took first place in the event, scoring 468.65, while FSU’s Horner was second (432.45), followed by Drew Livingston of Texas with 413.10. Nick McCrory of Duke was fourth with a score of 411.60.
The NCAA Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships will continue through Sun., Mar. 28.
For more information on the NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships, please locate your internet browser to http://www.ncaa.com/sports/m-swim/champpage/m-swim-div1-index.html. Once there, you will find live scoring, results and information pertaining to this year’s championships.
