Some prestigious season-ending accolades came to Regis Jesuit divers McKensi Austin and Kyle Goodwin this week.
Both divers, who won the Class 5A boys and girls state championships in their respective seasons, received All-American status when the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association put out its list of national 1-meter diver All-Americans for 2013-14.
In February, Austin nailed her three dives in the finals at the 5A girls state meet to rack up a total of 494.45 points, which set a pool record at the Veterans’ Memorial Aquatic Center, where she won the Coaches Invitational two months earlier.
Austin’s performance turned out to be one of the keys in helping the Regis Jesuit girls team win the state title by just 6.5 points.
Castle View’s Kaitlin Costello, the 5A runner-up to Austin, and the 4A top-2 duo of St. Mary’s Academy’s Alexa Beckwith and Mullen’s Katie Russ also earned All-American status from Colorado.
Goodwin’s victory at the boys state meet in May typified the dominating nature of the Raiders’ performance, as he scored 559.25 points, 71.60 ahead of the runner-up. Regis Jesuit won the state championship by 220 points.
The state championship was the third straight 5A crown for Goodwin, who has a chance to become the only four-time 5A boys state champion.
Goodwin has achieved NISCA All-American status in all three seasons.
Arapahoe freshman Anthony Belitz and Mullen senior David Hoffer joined Goodwin in Colorado’s group of boys All-Americans.
Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. Facebook; Aurora Prep Sentinel
COLORADO 2013-14 NISCA ALL-AMERICAN 1-METER DIVERS
BOYS: Anthony Belitz, fr., Arapahoe; KYLE GOODWIN, JR., REGIS JESUIT; David Hoffer, sr., Mullen
GIRLS: MCKENSI AUSTIN, SOPH., REGIS JESUIT; Alexa Beckwith, sr., St. Mary’s Academy; Kaitlin Costello, sr., Castle View; Katie Russ, jr., Mullen
