Six CCHS divers named All-Americans
Published 5:35 pm Friday, June 20, 2008
MOULTRIE — Six members of the 2008 Colquitt County High diving team have been named 1-meter All-Americans by the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Associations.
Three of them — Anna Aguero, Owen Blank and Ryan Helms — have already signed to dive in the Southeastern Conference this fall.
Aguero is heading to Auburn, Blank to Georgia and Helms to Tennessee.
The three underclassmen are sophomores Ann Perry Blank and Kelsey Goodman and junior Ali Lepech.
Helms, who is already at Tennessee, finished his high school career by winning his fourth straight Class AAAAA state championship in February. He is just the fifth high school boy diver to win four straight championships.
Three of the others also were Packers: David Howard (1976-1979), Brad Baell (1985-1988) and Adam Terrell (1990-1993). Wesleyan’s Webb Worthington is the other, winning in 2002-2005.
Helms, now a four-time All-American, holds the state meet record with the 615.00 he scored in the 2007 championship.
He also holds Westminster Schools pool record of 631.80, set on Jan. 25.
During his four-year high school career, Helms entered 14 meets and won 11 of them, including all eight he entered his final two seasons.
Owen Blank earned the All-American designation for the fourth straight year.
He was second in the state meet this year behind his high school teammate and finished his career with four straight top-four finishes.
Aguero and Lepech have been named All-Americans for three straight years.
Aguero, who finished her career with four top-four finishes, was second in the state meet behind Goodman this year.
Goodman and Ann Perry Blank have been named All-Americans in both years of eligibility.
Goodman is a two-time state high school champion and set the state record with a 534.35 as a freshman in 2007.
Ann Perry Blank was fourth at the state high school meet this year.
Nick McCrory, a junior at East Chapel Hill High School in Chapel Hill, N.C., was named the boys national champion.
Kaylea Arnett, a freshman at Spring Hill High School in Spring, Texas, was named the girls national champion.