Long Beach City College divers Kathleen (Katie) Juarez, Kaelani Roudabush, and Andrew Lambert, who have consistently shown their skill in previous competitions, are state-bound after their performances in the South Coast Conference Dive Championships.
Held on Friday, Apr. 12 at LBCC’s aquatic center, divers from Los Angeles Valley College, Santa Barbara City College, Orange Coast College, Santa Barbara College, Riverside College, Cerritos College, San Diego Mesa College, Palomar, Cuesta, and Ventura College competed in the SCC Dive Championships.
Katie Juarez placed first in the women’s three meter championship event with an overall score of 222.05 and third in the women’s one meter championship event with an overall score of 198.60.
Juarez, who committed to dive at Cal State Bakersfield, touches on her experience with LBCC.
“I will definitely take the camaraderie over with me, I feel like all of us teammates are here to support each other,” Juarez said.
Andrew Lambert finished with an overall score of 158.95 in the men’s one meter championship event placing him third in the event.
Although they will not be advancing to state, Viking divers Dani Sgontz and Ramzi Steenhoek have continued to showcase dedication throughout the season as it is both their first seasons participating in diving events.
Colleges all over California gathered at LBCC for the Socal dive championship on April 12, 2024. (Brianna Apodaca)
Dive coach and LBCC alumni Shane Butler has been integral to providing technical guidance and success to the divers throughout the season.
“I have definitely gotten better at my entries- they have gotten a lot cleaner over the season, and I can see improvement in a lot of the technical things,” Juarez said.
Kaelani Roudabush placed sixth in the women’s one meter event with a total score of 181.65 and eighth overall in the women’s three meter event, delivering a 136.80, earning her a spot in State Championships for both events.
“I rehearse my dives in my head and it helps me to imagine them before going into the water,” Roundabush said about her diving preparation.
State Championships will be held in early May, where the Vikings will compete at Orange Coast College.