Four NWI divers advance to state

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Updated: March 9, 2012 8:20AM

There have been quite a few bright spots in Munster diver Cara Leeney’s senior season.

Leeney became the face of the Seahorses diving program following the loss of two NCAA Division I divers to graduation. She’s landed a college commitment of her own, at East Carolina. And she’s embraced her new role in the deep tradition of Munster with large wins, like at the NCC meet. But even with those feats, reaching the state swimming and diving meet had still eluded — until Tuesday.

So while she didn’t take the Mishawaka diving regional title, a sixth-place finish of 330.30 was still rather fulfilling. After being an alternate last year, Leeney will get to personally test her luck at the IUPUI Natatorium this weekend.

“Oh definitely, yeah, even more,” Leeney said of her state goal after watching in 2011. “I think it definitely prepared me even more for these big meets and how they were.”

Surrounding that showing were three other significant finishes from Northwest Indiana athletes. Valparaiso junior Khalela El-Naggar won the title and Crown Point junior Charlie Wayne took second with respective totals of 410.3 and 394.05. And sophomore newcomer Abbi Fryer from LaPorte clinched the eighth and final advancing slot with her score of 320.20.

“She just really hit everything, just consistent,” Munster diving coach Cassandra Smith said of Leeney’s night. “She didn’t miss dives, which is what we knew we needed to do, to get out.”

With Leeney’s finish, Munster will compete in each of the 12 events at state, while Wayne’s showing finalized the 10th spot for the Bulldogs.

“It gets more points for the team and more experience for her senior year,” CP swimming coach Bryon Angerman said before praising his diving coaches. “When you have a good coach and a good coaching staff, it only leads to the better part of that sport.”