Greenwich’s Whitaker Grover wins State Open diving title; Cardinals to compete for Open swim championship at Cornerstone

By David Fierro on March 18, 2022 • ( Leave a comment )

Photo courtesy of CIAC: Whitaker Grover of Greenwich, fourth from left, captured the CIAC State Open diving championship on March 17, 2022, at Middletown High School in Middletown, Connecticut.

Another championship diving meet, another title for Whitaker Grover.

A Greenwich High School junior, Grover completed a championship season by winning the CIAC State Open diving title Thursday night at Middletown High School in Middletown.

Grover, who entered the State Open competition with the FCIAC and Class LL 1-meter diving titles already in his possession, added a third championship to his resume this season.

At Thursday’s State Open diving finals, which included 24 competitors, Grover earned the first-place medal, compiling an impressive score of 565.25 points during 11 rounds of diving. He won the Class LL diving championship earlier this week with a score of 536.05 points.

Andrew Bell of South Windsor High School was the runner-up at Thursday’s State Open Diving Championships with a score of 552.60 points. Finn Moynahan, representing Fairfield co-op was third (524.75), followed by Ben Bradley (Norwalk/McMahon, 520.65) and Jack Krug (New Canaan, 484.95).

**Photo courtesy of Trudy Clark:** Ryan Jee will compete in the 200-yard individual medley and 100 butterfly individual events at the CIAC State Open, which takes place on Saturday, March 19, 2022, at Cornerstone Aquatics in West Hartford.

Grover began the championship portion of the season by claiming the gold medal at the FCIAC Championships and received the Jon Hahnfeldt Memorial Diving Award for accomplishing such a feat.

Tomorrow, the Cardinals will look to win another State Open swimming championship, as the meet takes place at Cornerstone Aquatics Center in West Hartford.

Greenwich is in prime position to continue its reign of supremacy in the state. The Cardinals enter the State Open seeded first in the 200-yard medley relay (1:34.84). In the 200-yard freestyle, sophomore Felix Flakstad is seeded sixth for Greenwich (1:44.22).

**Photo courtesy of Trudy Clark:** Greenwich junior Aiden Bucaria is seeded No. 1 in the 100 breaststroke in the State Open.

Ryan Jee, a senior, is seeded third in the 200 IM at the State Open (1:52.88), while teammate Aiden Bucaria, a junior, is seeded fourth (1:53.44). Jee is also the No. 4 seed in the 100 butterfly (50.66).

Flakstad is seeded third in the 500 freestyle (4:40.03), while the Cards’ 200-yard freestyle relay team is seeded third (1:27.41). Bucaria has the top-seeded time in the 100-yard breaststroke (56.29 seconds) and teammate Mic Dilascia, a senior, is seeded third (57.58). Greenwich’s 400-yard freestyle relay has the top-seeded time (3:08.58).