THORNTON | Smoky Hill’s Lyla Bailey missed the finals of the Class 5A state diving by one spot in 2025, but she vaulted all the way to the medal podium this season.
The junior was the only one of the Aurora area’s nine state qualifiers to make it through the opening cut Wednesday the Veterans’ Memorial Aquatic Center and went on to earn a seventh-place finish.
Bailey earned a season-high score of 430.05 points to become the Buffaloes’ first state diving finalist since her coach — Jaclyn Santiago — in 2019. Santiago was a two-time state finalist who finished 16th in 2018.
Bailey finished third at the Centennial “A” League Championship meet, but finished in front of both of the two who were in front of her — league champion Riley Gray of Arapahoe, who finished ninth — and Grandview’s Baylei Polk, who missed the cut after the first round.
Polk scored 176.80 points on her five dives to lead the way among those eliminated, followed by teammate Ella Vail, who scored 174.90.
Also missing the cut were Regis Jesuit’s Simone Lore (173.25), Overland’s Kayden Gutierrez Romero (169.20), Grandview’s Taylor Delgado (168.85), Smoky Hill’s Mia Waleski (157), Eaglecrest’s Lily Grigorian (151.50) and Cherokee Trail’s Izzy Becker (148.60).
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports