U.S. Diving Outdoor Championships : Baker-Schultz, Richetelli Converge on Way to Final

Tristan Baker-Schultz entered Wednesday’s Phillips 66/U.S. Outdoor Diving Championship at Irvine’s Heritage Park as a champion. Her trek to the top of American diving started in Utah and progressed through Mission Viejo, Boston, Boca Raton and points in between.

The in-betweens included a series of also-ran finishes in national meets that, for a while, convinced her that she could not win.

Eileen Richetelli came from Milford, Conn., which is not exactly the diving capital of America. But that is where Richetelli learned to dive just 3 1/2 years ago, goofing around with friends at the YMCA.

By day’s end, Baker-Schultz and Richetelli were among the 12 women divers who qualified for Saturday’s 3-meter springboard final.

Megan Neyer led the qualifiers with a score of 511.47, Wendy Lian Williams (486.15) was second, Baker-Schultz eighth and Richetelli 11th. In the finals, all divers start from zero.

Baker-Schultz won the 3-meter springboard title at the U.S. Indoor Championships in April. Richetelli qualified for Saturday’s final in only her second national senior competition.

Although they’re traveling the same road, they are on opposite sides of the center divider--one coming, one going.

Baker-Schultz, 26, is near the end of her career. Except for 1983, she has been a member of the U.S. national team since 1981. She has sacrificed for the sport, including being away from her husband, Ted, so she can train in Boca Raton, Fla., with Ron O’Brien.

Ted remained at Boston University to do graduate work in physical therapy.

“Thank God for the telephone,” Baker-Schultz said. “It’s been hard, but it was something we decided on together.”

She hoped that O’Brien, who had coached her at Mission Viejo, would help her find what was missing from her performances. Between 1985 and 1987, Baker-Schultz finished second or third in seven consecutive national meets.

“At first, finishing second or third was great,” she said. “But when it happens time and time again, you start to wonder: ‘Is this as good as I am? Is the best I can do second best?’ ”

But she and Ted have decided that 1988 will be the end of her diving career--whether or not she makes the Olympic team.

“I think making the decision has allowed me to focus,” she said. “I know I’m just going to give all I can for the little time I have left and have no regrets about what happens.”

Richetelli, 16, was discovered by her coach, Jim Pyrch, diving at the Milford YMCA.

“You could see right away she had the talent to be a good one,” Pyrch said.

Richetelli was the hardest person to convince, though.

“He always tells me these great things I can do, but I never believe him,” she said.

A former gymnast, Richetelli is 5-feet tall. Her performance seemed to shock just about everyone at the championships, including the publicity staff, which omitted her biography from the list of U.S. divers.

“I really feel like no one knows me here,” Richetelli said. “I hear a few people clap after I dive, but most people don’t know who I am.”

That figures to change.

Mike Wantuck placed first in the men’s 10-meter platform semifinals. Wantuck, the NCAA 3-meter champion in 1987, scored 587.67 to edge Bruce Kimball (583.71).

Greg Louganis (542.85) placed fifth, though he was as low as 10th after seven dives. Louganis, who is recovering from a wrist injury, said the injury had nothing to do with his showing.

“I just didn’t dive well,” he said.

Diving Notes

Among the women who did not qualify for the 3-meter final were Kim Fugett, the U.S. indoor 1-meter champion last year, and Karen LaFace, the 1987 NCAA 1-meter champion. . . . Wendy Wyland, a bronze medalist at the 1984 Olympics in the platform event, squeezed into the final by finishing 12th.

.. . . Today’s schedule starts with the men’s 1-meter semifinals at 10 a.m. The women’s platform semifinals begin at 3 p.m, followed by the men’s 1-meter final.