STAMFORD — From the first round, when she drew high scores by impressively executing a reverse dive, it was apparent Annie Bingle was going to be tough to top at Monday’s FCIAC West Region Diving Championships.
A Greenwich junior, Bingle started the meet strong and finished with a flurry, book-ending the competition with sensational dives, while putting the finishing touch on her memorable first season with the Cardinals.
Bingle, a two-time NISCA All-America selection, won the FCIAC West Region diving title, earning 461.26 points after showcasing her skills for 11 rounds at Westhill High School.
Westhill/Stamford sophomore Hannah Chuckas was the runner-up (422.10), followed by New Canaan sophomore Natalie Penman (417.50) and Rams sophomore Kaitlyn Maggio (401.85).
“It was one of the best meets I’ve ever competed in and definitely the best meet I’ve ever had in a high school season,” said Bingle, who competed one the 1-meter diving board at Greenwich Academy the previous two seasons. “It was a personal-best score for me, which was exciting. I thought I was pretty consistent throughout the meet.”
Following a stellar first dive, Bingle drew a score of 8 and three scores of 7 with a forward dive in the second round. Her back dive from the pike position earned her two scores of 9 and two 8s in the ninth round.
“The back dive that she did toward the end of the meet was great and the reverse dive she started off the meet with was fantastic too,” Greenwich diving coach Kevin Thompson said of Bingle. “We wanted her to start off with a dive that was going to set the tone for what she was going to do today.”
Bingle capped the meet with a front 2-and-one-half dive in which two judges gave her a 7.5.
“Annie shows what a true competitor she is,” Thompson said. “She always prepares well for her meets and I think when it comes to championship time, she thrives on the big stage. She loves to compete.”
Prior to the four-team regional championship meet, Bingle felt some butterflies, but they subsided.
“I was definitely more nervous than normal before the meet, I was pretty stressed, because I wanted to do well for the team and town,” she said. “But my teammates helped calm me down on the bus ride over.”
Annie Bingle of Greenwich wins the FCIAC West Region Diving Championship with an 11-dive total of 461.25 points #ctswim pic.twitter.com/QYyCQ5mAME
— Greenwich Time Spts (@GreenwichSports) November 10, 2020
Each dive was effective for Bingle, who joined the Cardinals, after producing two highly successful seasons at Greenwich Academy.
“My reverse dive and my back dive were my strongest out of all of them,” Bingle said. “A few of my optionals — my front two-and-a-half and then the front double — were all consistent.”
Bingle follows a particular pattern to stay prepared for each dive.
“Definitely listening to music, that plays a huge part in getting me ready for each dive and keeping me energized and upbeat and having a solid routine,” she said.
Chuckas also flourished throughout, displaying consistency each round.
“I thought the competition was really good and there were a lot of great divers,” Chuckas said. “My mindset going in I was just hoping to do my best and do what I know I can do. I wasn’t trying to stress myself out too much, because I still have two more years to compete in meets like this.”
Westhill/Stamford’s divers have been paced by Chuckas throughout the season.
“It was a very good season for me,” Chuckas said. “I got first against New Canaan and Darien both times and second against Greenwich both times, so I did very well this season.”
Hannah Chuckas of Westhill-Stamford placed second at the FCIAC West Region Diving Championships with an 11-dive score of 442.10 points #ctswim pic.twitter.com/YBIHRNXkDV
— Greenwich Time Spts (@GreenwichSports) November 10, 2020
New Canaan diving coach Joe Somma was pleased with what he saw from his squad, which was led by Penman.
“We have a team of 11 that battles each other every day,” Somma said. “Natalie had an amazing day, she was the most consistent on our team for the day and I couldn’t be more happy with her efforts today. She was just being as consistent as she could be.”
Said Penman: “My reverse one-and-a-half was really good, my inward one-and-a-half and my back twister also helped me. The competition was tough with Annie and Hannah out there, but it was a lot of fun competing against them.”
Ella Olfaffson, a New Canaan junior was fifth (386.95) in the competition. Ellie Scharff (freshman, 353.20) and Esme Merrill (junior, 348.80), were sixth and seventh, respectively, for the Cardinals.
Julia Stefanowicz (Westhill/Stamford, sophomore, 344.00), Francesca Kim (Greenwich, junior, 335.20) and Peyton Sigtryggson (Westhill, 302.35) rounded out the top 10 finishers.
Annelise Enters, a freshman, finished 11th for Darien, while New Canaan senior Kendall Somma was 12th. Maggio scored a 9 and 8.5 with her back dive from the pike position in the opening round.
Greenwich’s divers combined for 54 team points, which will be carried into the swimming portion of the FCIAC West Region Championships. Westhill/Stamford and New Canaan will compete on Tuesday at Greenwich High School. Then the Cardinals and Darien will compete on Wednesday at Greenwich. The results from the two meets will be combined in order to determine the team champion and top finishers in each event
“All our divers did amazing, especially the freshmen on the team, because this was their first 11-dive meet,” Bingle said. “We definitely motivate each other.”
Since the season is abbreviated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bingle has her sights set on competing in a full season in 2021. One that includes the full FCIAC championship meet, the Class LL finals and the CIAC State Open Championships.
“I am looking forward to next season and I can’t wait to have more opportunities to perform for our team next year,” she said.
dfierro@greenwichtime.com
FCIAC WEST REGION DIVING RESULTS
