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One last chance was not enough to describe Tuesday’s state qualifying performance for Powell High School senior diver Justin Hobbs.
Hobbs came up just short last year in his first year of …
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One last chance was not enough to describe Tuesday’s state qualifying performance for Powell High School senior diver Justin Hobbs.
Hobbs came up just short last year in his first year of diving at the very same meet, finishing with 142 points and giving him hope heading into this season.
“Last year I came close to qualifying,” Hobbs said. “When I ended last year I thought I was going to qualify in the first meet this year, but I hadn’t been able to get that right meet until now.”
After having come within striking distance to qualify multiple times this season it came down to the final dive for Hobbs at the Terry Bartlett Last Chance meet in Cody on Tuesday, needing a solid dive to pass the 155 points necessary to qualify for the state championships next week.
Hobbs did that and more, blowing past the qualifying mark and finishing with 165.65 points to become the final Powell qualifier for next week.
“It was very much my last opportunity,” Hobbs said. “Starting my junior year didn’t make it easy. I couldn’t have done this with any other coach. The way coach [Stephanie] Warren coaches is perfect, there isn’t anything I would change.”
Following his final dive Hobbs celebrated with his coach alongside two fellow divers Jon Hawley and Ashtin Prentiss and other swimmers in attendance for the last chance meet.
“I couldn’t think of anyone else I’d want here,” Hobbs said.
Hobbs finished in third overall for the competition, just behind Prentiss and Hawley who were first and second.
He is the fourth of the four divers on the team to qualify for the state meet, and is the 17th in total qualified for the state meet next week in Gillette — one short of the record total taken last season for the Panthers.
How excited is Hobbs to go to the state meet next week?
“Very, now I don’t have to pay,” Hobbs said.
In the pool the Panthers and Broncs battled it out, with no qualifying standards in swimming being reached by the Panthers.
LAST CHANCE MEET
* Denotes state qualifying mark
200 free: 3. Korbyn Warren 2:28.02
50 free: 5. Jon Hawley 27.94, 6. Justin Hobbs 28.45, 8. Alex Watts 32.67
1-meter diving (six dives): 1. Ashtin Prentiss 198*, 2. Jon Hawley 183.15*, 3. Justin Hobbs 165.65*
100 free: 4. Ashtin Prentiss 58.8, 5. Korbyn Warren 1:06.29, 6. Lukas Legler 1:09.63, 7. Hunter Davis 1:13.02, 8. Alex Watts 1:16.39, 9. Branton Moore 1:19.43
100 back: 4. Hunter Davis 1:14.99, 6. Lukas Legler 1:24.73, 7. Branton Moore 1:35.95
