2008 Woodie Awards
Diver breaks 1968 record
HISTORY: Sophomore sets a record in the 1- and 3-meter diving competition.
By: Mary Chou
Issue date: 5/5/05 Section: Sports
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Only a scar running vertically on his left leg is what's left of the car accident that nearly cost him a limb in 1999. Six years later, Wendell Perkins has left his mark in EC's diving record books.
"I think competing for El Camino was one of the best things that could have happened to me," Perkins said.
Perkins has been diving for seven years, but is a sophomore at EC, where he won the regional championship.
"He was doing well throughout all his dives and was getting really close to the record," coach Corey Stanbury said. "But it was at his last dive that he just nailed it; he made such a clean dive that there were no splashes. The crowd just went wild."
During the last two years, Perkins has made a clean sweep of all the EC diving records.
He has established his own mark in the 1- and 3-meter diving, for both the full and duel meet lists.
EC's 3-meter diving record was set in 1994 at 456, but Perkins surpassed that mark with a 457.65.
Perkins' accomplishment also happens to be the South Coast Conference record.
In the 1-meter dive, Perkins had a score of 428.65, demolishing the old campus record that was set in 1968 at 404.31.
"I've been trying since I saw that the record had existed to beat it and I think I worked harder for that than anything I can remember," Perkins said.
"It's all I wanted, and since I didn't feel like I had the best performance of my life during that meet, I couldn't believe I had broken the record. I had to look twice," Perkins said.
Perkins began his diving career when he coached Utah but then he decided to move out to California to train.
"After the accident that left my leg and hip crushed, for physical therapy, I decided that I'd get back into diving," Perkins said.
Perkins joined a team called Pacific Diving after leaving Utah.
From there his coaches eventually referred him to the EC diving team.
"I didn't get to compete in college the first time around, so I'm really excited that I get a shot at doing it now," Perkins said.
"I think competing for El Camino was one of the best things that could have happened to me," Perkins said.
Perkins has been diving for seven years, but is a sophomore at EC, where he won the regional championship.
"He was doing well throughout all his dives and was getting really close to the record," coach Corey Stanbury said. "But it was at his last dive that he just nailed it; he made such a clean dive that there were no splashes. The crowd just went wild."
During the last two years, Perkins has made a clean sweep of all the EC diving records.
He has established his own mark in the 1- and 3-meter diving, for both the full and duel meet lists.
EC's 3-meter diving record was set in 1994 at 456, but Perkins surpassed that mark with a 457.65.
Perkins' accomplishment also happens to be the South Coast Conference record.
In the 1-meter dive, Perkins had a score of 428.65, demolishing the old campus record that was set in 1968 at 404.31.
"I've been trying since I saw that the record had existed to beat it and I think I worked harder for that than anything I can remember," Perkins said.
"It's all I wanted, and since I didn't feel like I had the best performance of my life during that meet, I couldn't believe I had broken the record. I had to look twice," Perkins said.
Perkins began his diving career when he coached Utah but then he decided to move out to California to train.
"After the accident that left my leg and hip crushed, for physical therapy, I decided that I'd get back into diving," Perkins said.
Perkins joined a team called Pacific Diving after leaving Utah.
From there his coaches eventually referred him to the EC diving team.
"I didn't get to compete in college the first time around, so I'm really excited that I get a shot at doing it now," Perkins said.