OPRF sophomore Ayanna Dairyko scored 464.75 points to win the diving competition at the IHSA Leyden Sectional on Saturday, Nov. 7. The performance set a new Oak Park and River Forest High School record and qualified her for the state meet.
Dairyko was the lone OPRF athlete to qualify for state at the sectional in Franklin Park. No Huskies swimmers advanced, according to the Wednesday Journal.
The win capped a strong season for Dairyko. She placed second in 1-meter diving at the Western Suburban Conference Silver Championship meet on Oct. 23 with 357.40 points. That was the highest individual finish of any OPRF athlete at the conference meet, according to coverage published in November by the Trapeze, the OPRF student newspaper.
Head coach Clyde Lundgren told the Trapeze before the sectional that "Dairyko has a strong chance of qualifying in diving." She did more than qualify. Her 464.75-point total topped the entire field and broke the school record.
OPRF finished third in the overall team standings at the Leyden Sectional with 243 points. Fenwick won its 27th sectional championship with 313 points. Lane Tech placed second with 281.
Despite no swimmers reaching state, Lundgren told the Wednesday Journal he was pleased with the effort. Six of his 11 sectional swimmers were freshmen.
"I'm super-pleased with how they did," Lundgren said. "Six of the eleven swimmers were ninth-graders. I couldn't ask for more; the girls gave it their best and that's something they have to be proud of."
Lundgren said the team's youth gives him reason for optimism, noting the program can build on this season with three more years of development for many of its swimmers.
Dairyko heads to the IHSA state finals at FMC Natatorium in Westmont. Diving preliminaries and semifinals begin at 9 a.m. Friday, Nov. 13.
