Article Photos

Advertisement

Kasey Williams played a game of 'follow the leader' on Friday night.

By the time the game had ended, Williams herself was the leader.

The Southeast Polk junior had the advantage of diving after a number of her competitors, a luck of the draw that worked out in Williams' favor as she claimed her school's first title in any event at the Iowa Girls' High School State Diving Championships at the Marshalltown Community Y.

Williams, who possessed the top score in the state this season, stayed ahead of the competition again on this night - even though she always had to come from behind to do it.

With her 11th and final attempt, Williams put forth a solid dive to score more than enough to secure a state diving championship with a 385.3 total.

"My very last dive, my reverse double, I had a bad warm-up and almost hit the board," Williams said. "I'm just happy I made it and I was glad. I was looking (at the scoreboard) every time and I knew how much I needed to go, and then when I finished and heard how much I won, I knew I'd won and I was really excited."

Williams was one of three state diving qualifiers for Southeast Polk, including her twin sister Kelsey. Neither Kelsey Williams or Rylee Ames made it through the first cut, allowing both the opportunity to cheer for their teammate as the competition intensified.

After the field was cut from 36 to 20 divers, it seemed as though Johnston junior Dahlia Gordon was going to hold off the rest to claim Johnston's first state diving title. She led after five dives and was still out front after eight dives, when the field was slimmed from 20 to 16.

Johnston senior Taylor Erwine held the lead for a moment, following the 10th round, and was still in the driver's seat when Cedar Rapids Kennedy senior Savanah Schott surpassed her in the last round. Gordon could not catch up with her high-scoring finale, but Williams needed a score of only 25.25 to take the lead.

"I went into it wondering if I'd even make state and then when I heard I was going, I was just ready to come here and win and try my best," Williams said. "I'm so excited and overjoyed.

"I was very worried the whole time and my coaches just kept telling me to relax and that I could do it. I was getting up for my last dive and I just figured I'd do my best and whatever came out, came out."

Schott was second at 379.45, Gordon was third (379.1) and Erwine was fourth (376.7). Grinnell junior Nicolette Freeman placed fifth overall (366.5) and Marea Holkesvik, a sophomore from Decorah, came in sixth (361.35).