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MUSCATINE, Iowa – A teary-eyed Sarah Martin claimed the runner-up spot Thursday night in the regional diving competition to secure a spot at the state meet next weekend.

The Muscatine senior finished second behind Cedar Rapids Xavier’s Brittany Murray, who finished with 328.50 points. Martin had 308.65.

“I’m crying because my mom is bawling over here,” Martin said as she accepted numerous hugs and well-wishes at the Carver Swim Center.

The senior had high scores all the way through and only could think of one dive out of the 11 that she’d like to have back.

“Probably my double (forward double somersault tuck),” Martin said. “Probably because I’ve been struggling with it all year – it’s a nerve-wracking dive.”

Vicki Beckey, Martin’s diving coach, also said that dive — which was Martin’s seventh — was the only one to give her trouble.

“She has performed that better,” Beckey said. “I was keeping scores myself and kept score of the competition. I felt she had a grip on it the whole way.

“She kept her head together. She didn’t let it affect her next three dives, which was great.”

Martin had two higher degree of difficulty dives in the 2.2 range – the last of which was an inward 1-1/2 somersault tuck in which she scored her lowest point total of the night – 23.10.

“I was hoping I would get better,” Martin said of the last dive. “I got around on it; I completed the dive and that was my main goal.

“The higher degree of difficulty dives I spent the past week on more than the ones I’ve been doing (longer).”

When asked if she thought she might qualify for state, a top-four finish, Martin said was uncertain.

“I had no idea,” Martin said. “My aunt had done some calculations and she said I could do it. I had no idea I’d be second.

“I’m speechless. I don’t know what to say. This is very exciting.”

With Martin’s finish and a 15th-place showing for Ali Failor, Muscatine enters the swimming portion of the regional meet Saturday in a tie for fourth place with 20 points. Iowa City High leads with 32 points.

“I’m going to go with what I got,” Martin said. “I don’t think I’d pull off another dive and succeed at it.”

Beckey said, “We’ll probably use the same program (at state). She’s going to be among the best of the best. Just to qualify was our goal. She’ll be right amongst them in the state.”

Regional Diving

Team Scoring

1. Iowa City High 32; 2. Bettendorf 25; 3. Pleasant Valley 22; 4. (tie) Cedar Rapids Xavier 20; 4. (tie) Muscatine 20; 6. Iowa City West 18; 7. Burlington 15; 8. Davenport Central 5; 9. Davenport West 1.

Diving Results

1. Brittany Murray (CR Xavier) 328.50; 2. Sarah Martin (Muscatine) 308.65; 3. Elizabeth Fry (Bettendorf) 301.85; 4. Brena Peterson (Burlington) 300.50; 5. Jin Suh (IC High) 297.85; 6. Nikki Deets (PV) 288.10; 7. Morgan Kinney (IC West) 283.35; 8. Caitlin Clougherty (IC High) 270.30; 9. Bree Lihou (PV) 261.10; 10. Roni Goodale (Bettendorf) 261.05; 11. Robin Olson (IC High) 250.55; 12. Tori Quist (Dav. Central) 248.95; 13. Erin Niles (IC West) 243.15; 14. Ali Failor (Muscatine) 242.45; 15. Lindsay Best (IC West) 236.50; 16. Lielani Zinsli (Dav. West) 230.15; 17. Madie Hart (Bettendorf) 159.80; 18. Danielle Haut (Dav. West) 158.15; 19. Claire Wolfe (Muscatine) 154.10.