Diving records have fallen at Greely and Kennebunk High this month.

Julia Bisson

On Saturday at the YMCA in Biddeford, Greely junior Julia Bisson broke a 17-year-old school record with a six-dive total of 258.05 points in a dual-meet victory over Thornton Academy.

A week earlier, Kennebunk junior Taylor Nguyen broke the record she set a day earlier with a six-dive total of 264.95 points at the Kennebunk Diving Invitational. Her teammate and cousin, senior Maggie Nguyen, held the school record for less than a minute until Taylor surpassed it, and on Friday turned in a 226.30 performance in a meet at South Portland.

Those are the three highest six-dive scores in the state this winter.

Entering the season, Kennebunk senior Emma Patterson was the favorite to win a third straight state title (she won twice in Class B but the Rams moved up to Class A this year). However, Patterson has not dived since hitting the board earlier this winter.

Aiden Ward, a Kennebunk freshman, also set a school record Friday in the South Portland meet with a six-dive total of 218.20. According to coach Andrew Coulombe, no male diver from Kennebunk had broken 200 points until Ward did so.

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Falmouth senior Griffin Conley owns the state’s top diving score among boys, with 243.15 in late December at South Portland.

Greely coach Rob Hale said Bisson’s success drew teammate Lily Hayden-Hunt into diving and the freshman recently qualified for the state meet. Both train in South Portland with Red Riots coach Ryan Green.

With conference meets scheduled for next week, teams are attempting to qualify as many swimmers and divers as they can for the state meets in Orono (Class A) and Brunswick (Class B). Hale said 17 girls have qualified, including a pair of newcomers who also dabble in Alpine skiing and pole vaulting.

Senior Greta Van Curan qualified in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle and 100 backstroke. She plans to swim in the Class B state meet Feb. 19 at Bowdoin and then head to Greenwood for the Class A giant slalom Feb. 20 and slalom Feb. 21 at Mt. Abram.

“She’ll probably ski with her cap and goggles on,” said Hale, who plans to use Van Curan in relays as well as one or two individual events.

Maggie McCormick, a junior, qualified in the two freestyle sprints. Two days before the state swim meet, she’ll be pole vaulting at the Class B indoor track meet Feb. 17 at Bates College.

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Defending Class B state champion Cape Elizabeth’s girls remain favored both at Bowdoin and in next week’s North Southwestern Championships, but Greely’s numbers, boosted by diving, could give the Capers a scare.

“We have very good depth,” Hale said. “We don’t have the front line, but we probably have the best depth I’ve had in 12 years.”

Indeed, the Rangers ran their record to 8-1 Tuesday night by knocking off defending Class A girls’ state champion Cony in a dual meet in Augusta, 88-82. Greely also won the boys’ meet 87-76 and is now 4-4 on the season.

Cape Elizabeth and South Portland will host the Southwesterns, with eight of 11 dives at South Portland on Feb. 7 beginning at 5 p.m. The North boys compete Feb. 8 at 5 p.m., the South Boys Feb. 9 at 5 p.m. and Feb. 10 (a Saturday) is split between North girls at 10 a.m. and South girls at 5 p.m.

“The Southwesterns will be quite a meet,” said Hale, noting the improvement of both Scarborough and Falmouth. “It’ll be very fast.”

Hale makes Cheverus a slight favorite over Cape Elizabeth in the boys’ North meet.

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“Cape’s got some quality,” he said, “but I’m not sure they go as deep.”

Glenn Jordan can be contacted at 791-6425 or

Gjordan@pressherald.com

Twitter: GlennJordanPPH


Correction: This story was updated at 12:45 p.m., Feb. 5, 2018, to reflect that Greta Van Curan plans to ski in the Class A giant slalom Feb. 20 and slalom Feb. 21 at Mt. Abram.

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