March 30, 2008
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue freshman David Colturi received the title of All-American after posting a third place and varsity record total of 453.65 points on platform Saturday night at the NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships in Federal Way, Wash.
Colturi's championship final point total was 6.05 points better than his previous varsity record of 447.60 points set two weeks ago at the NCAA Zone C diving meet.
Ohio State's Sean Moore, who was runner up to Colturi at Zones, won the national title with 478.20 points and Georgia's Chris Colwill was runner-up with 460.60 points.
Colturi's best dive was a reverse 3.5 somersault tuck with a 3.3 degree of difficulty. The judges awarded him 81.60 points on this dive and an average of 74.5 points on his five remaining dives.
Only eight divers, including Colturi, have earned the title of All-American in the 90-year history of Boilermaker swimming and diving. However, four of these student-athletes (Colturi, Steven LoBue, Zach Schultz and Danny Cox) have collected 10 crowns in the past four years under the tutelage of head diving coach Adam Soldati.
LoBue was a three-time All-American in 2006 and an honorable mention All-American (top 16) on platform in 2005.
Schultz was a All-American on 1-meter and platform in 2007 and also received an honorable mention citation on 3-meter. Cox was an honorable mention All-American on 3-meter and platform that same year.
In addition to receiving an All-America title on platform, Colturi earned a honorable mention citation on 1-meter earlier this weekend following a ninth-place finish.
Colturi finished fifth among 25 competitors with 338.265 points in prelims held Saturday afternoon. The Sylvania, Ohio native, registered well over 70 points on his third, fourth and fifth (of sixth) dives, including a 78.20 score from the judges on the reverse 3.5 somersault tuck.
Miami freshman J.J. Kinzbach, a former pupil of Soldati, posted the highest platform score in prelims with 432.25 points. He went on to place eighth in finals with 366.05 points.