The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
West G’s Goodrick, Bison’s Bystrom each third at state
West Geauga’s Kami Goodrick capped her remarkable journey from a careerending gymnastics ailment with her elbow to local high school diving legend Feb. 21, taking third during the Division II state meet at Canton McKinley’s Branin Natatorium.
Goodrick recorded a score of 449.10, a little more than three points off Columbus Academy’s Jordan Skilken (452.45) for second and behind state champion Janie Boyle of Orange (476.15).
The West G senior won the D-II state title a year ago with a 468.30, was second as a freshman and third as a sophomore.
She was third this time around at state after prelims (202.70) and fourth after semifinals (312.80), but edged Columbus Academy’s Esther Lawrence, the 2017 D-II state runner-up, by .4 for third after the final three dives.
Her final dive, an inward 2 somersault tuck with a 2.8 degree of difficulty, vaulted her into third after being fourth for the previous four rounds of dives.
Goodrick is the first girls diver and second overall from a News-Herald coverage area school to be a fourtime top-four state placer. The other was Mayfield’s Joe Cacolici, who was a three-time state champion in 1993, 1994 and 1995.
Chagrin Falls freshman Kate LaMonica also made the podium, taking eighth with a 389.50.
West G’s Hannah Zahniser was 11th with a 373.15.
On the boys side in the afternoon session, Beachwood junior Spencer Bystrom took a career-best third with a score of 430.15.
Indian Hill’s Noah Vigran, who came in from district with a gaudy score of 620.25, repeated as state champion with a 584.45.
Bystrom was second after prelims at 200.70, then third after semis (298.35).
His 430.15 was a slight uptick on the 427.00 that earned him fifth last winter.
Benedictine freshman Luke Faulisi also made the podium, taking eighth with a 353.55. University’s Ian Binder made the finals, taking 10th with a 339.15.