Knitter, Lusher win season's first high school diving meet

Fallbrook High School not only hosted the first CIF San Diego Section diving meet of the 2010 season March 20, but also had the two winners of the 11-dive events.

Warrior senior Chris Knitter won the boys event with 349.95 points while junior Jaime Lusher scored 328.35 points to win the girls competition. Knitter and Lusher both earned their first-ever diving invitational wins.

A total of 36 divers, including five Fallbrook High School students, competed in the Fallbrook Early-Season Invitational. “It was a fun meet and the kids did well,” said organizer Sean Redmond. “The weather cooperated for us this year. Last year it was cold and rainy.”

The boys’ six-dive event was won by Cortland Grantham of Oceanside High School, who accumulated 135.45 points. No Fallbrook boys participated in the six-dive event.

Kelly Wilkinson of Vista High School won the girls six-dive event with 192.80 points. Two Fallbrook girls participated in the six-dive competition; junior Holly Harris placed third with 140.60 points and junior Alyssa Heimbinger took fourth place after

scoring 138.00 points.

Knitter’s 11-dive score gave him a narrow victory over Ramona High School sophomore Josh Sammons, last year’s CIF Division II diving champion, who scored 347.05 points to finish second in the Fallbrook Early-Season Invitational competition. “It was definitely a great confidence builder,” Redmond said of Knitter’s win. “It just shows the hard work he’s put in.”

Another Fallbrook senior, Luke Jones, was third in the boys’ 11-dive event with 326.65 points. Knitter and Jones were the only Fallbrook boys to compete in the 11-dive competition.

Lusher was Fallbrook’s only girl in the 11-dive event. “She had some great dives that helped her out in pulling that win out,” Redmond said

Ali Gill of Poway placed second in the girls’ 11-dive competition with 328.10 points.

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