Kelly takes 12th, Bickle 16th at diving regional

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Rochester seniors Kadin Kelly and Bradly Bickle both had their pre diving careers end at the Valparaiso diving regional Tuesday.

Kelly scored 330.55 points and finished 12th in the field of 20 divers. Bickle scored 219.00 points and placed 16th.

Only the top eight advanced to Saturday’s state finals at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis.

Lake Central’s Zach Ramacci won with 488.90 points.

Kelly was competing in his fourth regional but advanced to the semifinal round of dives for the first time. He also was 18th in 2019, 17th in 2020 and 15th in 2021.

Bickle was competing in his first regional.

Kelly broke the school record with a score of 391.25 for an 11-dive program at the Warsaw sectional Saturday. Bickle set the school record for a six-dive program with a score of 255.15 against Bremen on Jan. 18.

Valparaiso diving regional results

State qualifiers (top 8) plus all Rochester results

1. Ramacci (Lake Central) – 488.90 points, 2. Salas (Penn) – 454.90, 3. Hardy (Elkhart) – 439.35, 4. Omilian (Culver Academy) – 437.75, 5. Smith (Concord) – 435.10, 6. Ferba (Hobart) – 420.20, 7. Blaze (Lake Central) – 410.05, 8. Opilka (Highland) – 347.50, 12. Kadin Kelly (Rochester) – 330.55, 16. Bradly Bickle (Rochester) – 219.00