Snow 16th in regional

FISHERS — Maddy Snow was relaxed.

Having looked at sectional scores, she knew the meet was likely to be her last.

So she approached it with an air of calm, leaving her sectional stress behind.

Snow, a Jay County High School senior, closed her career Tuesday night by finishing 16th out of 20 competitors in the regional diving meet at Hamilton Southeastern.

“I had a lot more fun here today, even though my dives weren’t better,” said Snow, comparing her regional effort to the sectional meet just three days earlier. “I think it was just a little bit of pressure off. It was just go out with a bang and do the best I could.”

She was a four-time regional qualifier, with her best finish at 13th place during her sophomore season and best score at 221.2 in 2024.

“It’s bittersweet,” she added. “It’s something that’s been a part of my life for the last seven years. So it’s something that I’m said to see go, but I think it’s a good end.”

Snow scored 207.2 points through eight dives, leaving her just over 23 points short of the total needed to make the top 12 and continue into the final three dives. (Delta’s Ava West was the last diver to make the cut at 230.65.) She finished ahead of Kennadie Liegl (204.85) of Carroll, Haley Terrell (200.15) of Concordia, Eden McRoberts (196.2) of McCutcheon and Emerson Meredith (187.25) of Norwell.

Noblesville’s Eryn McMahon fought off Helena Gibson of Carmel 410.05-406.15 for the regional title. Campbell Lively Mason of Hamilton Heights also cleared 400 points with 401.95 for third place.

Grace Whitfield of Zionsville was the final state qualifier with 350.7 points, as the top eight divers from the regional meet advanced to compete again Saturday morning at Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis.

Snow, who was seeded last for the regional after placing fourth in Jay County’s sectional, reflected on her bookend dives.

She opened with her reverse dive in the tuck position. It scored her 22.4 points.

“I put it first to get it over with,” she said, laughing. “It’s a dive that I just have never liked and diving in an unfamiliar space, doing a reverse is especially hard because you have to find where to kick.”

Snow was 16th through the first five dives with 127.6 points, just 0.8 points ahead of 17th-place Terrell and nearly eight behind 15th-place McKenna Wendland of Homestead (135.25).

Knowing that she might not make the cut for the finals, she put her favorite dive in the No. 8 slot. She was rewarded with five 5.5s from the judges, a 6 and a 6.5.

“My inward dive pike has always been a favorite of mine,” said Snow. “I put it eighth so that I was ending on a good note no matter where I finished.”