March 22, 2008
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue freshman Kara Cook placed third on platform with 311.00 points Saturday night at the NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships, which took place at Ohio State's McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion.
Cook's score was a personal best by over 17 points. Her previous high of 293.55 points was recorded against Indiana on Jan. 26 of this year.
Cook was consistent in her scoring, totaling between 63 and 65 points on four of her five dives. Her best dive was her second dive, an inward 2.5 somersault tuck, which earned her 64.80 points.
Miami's Brittany Viola - daughter of former major league pitcher Frank Viola - won the national title on platform with 362.60 points and Stanford's Margaret Hostage was second with 347.20 points.
The eight-woman platform championship final featured six freshmen and two sophomores.
Cook's third-place finish was Purdue's highest individual showing since Carrie McCambridge placed third on 3-meter with 558.90 points at the 2005 national championships, which were held at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center.
Including Cook, Purdue diving has left NCAAs with at least one All-America title every year since 2004. From 2004 through 2008, the Boilermaker diving program has collected at total of nine All-America citations and four honorable mention All-America crowns.
Cook is Purdue's fourth diver to receive the title of All-American. Nicole Zlotnik was the first Boilermaker diver to reach honorable mention status (top 16) in 1992, and McCambridge was the next to attain this status in 2004.
McCambridge left Purdue with seven combined All-America titles - including honorable mention - which she collected from 2004 to 2006. Amanda Miller followed with four All-America citations and one honorable mention between 2006 and 2007.
Cook's 16 points allowed Purdue to finish in 34th place, giving it eight-straight top-40 showings at nationals.
Arizona won the national team title with 484 points and defending champion Auburn was second with 384 points.
Cook was sixth following the preliminary round with 269.60 points. She clinched her spot in finals after scoring 65.25 points on her fifth and final dive, a forward 2.5 somersault with one twist.
Senior Katie Berg placed 21st in prelims with 200.20 points. Her top dive - a backward two somersaults with 1.5 twists - earned her 48 points from the judges.