Whirlwind Dive Team Opens Season with a Win

Posted by Geoffrey Parkinson, November 28, 2012 at 03:54 pm

The Whirlwind Dive Team's kick-off to its new season almost didn't happen in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. The Bridgewater NJ Family YMCA, home to the annual Lords of the Boards Autumn Classic, had not been able to regain power as mid-November approached. However, the weekend prior to the event, the meet director sent out the good news: the lights were back on. "Our Whirlwind tour begins this weekend," Head Coach Joe Somma enthusiastically charged the team during the lead-up to the pre-Thanksgiving meet. Whirlwind divers responded with an impressive first place overall finish. In total, team members claimed 7 first-place, 9 second-place and 2 third-place finishes in the 19 J.O. events. Nineteen different Whirlwind divers placed in the top ten in their respective events.

Stamford residents Rachel Burston, Sean Burston and Kirsten Parkinson came away with strong performances. Rachel claimed second place in both of her one-meter events. Kirsten celebrated a first-place victory in her three-meter event. And Sean led teammates to a Whirlwind sweep of the top three places on the podium after his first-place finish in his one-meter competition.