Ashley Culpepper Finishes Third.
Only Top Two Qualify for Olympics
25 Jun 2000
The Salt Lake Tribune
Laura Wilkinson plans on some shoe shopping prior to the Olympics. Sara
Reiling's trip to Sydney will be the most exotic of her six-year diving
career.
Wearing a rubber kayak shoe on her broken right foot that has yet to
heal, Wilkinson clinched a berth on the 10-meter platform by winning the
U.S. trials with 869.79 points Saturday.
Reiling, a 20-year-old from St. Paul, Minn., claimed the second spot
with 830.85 points. Wilkinson of Spring, Texas, and Reiling were 1-2 after
Friday night's preliminary and semifinal rounds.
Ashley Culpepper of Austin, Texas, finished third at 819.09 points.
Ashley Culpepper Drops out of Meet as She Cuts Head During Warm-ups
for 3-Meter Event.
12 May 2000
Sun-Sentinel Ft. Lauderdale
By Sharon Robb, Staff Writer
Five-time U.S. national team member Ashley Culpepper hit her head
during warm-ups for the 3-meter springboard competition Thursday at the
FINA/USA Diving Grand Prix at the International Swimming Hall of Fame
Aquatic Complex in Fort Lauderdale. She sustained a deep gash to her head
and withdrew from the meet.
Culpepper, 21, who trains with former University of Miami coach Scott
Reich of Bengal Tiger Aquatics in Baton Rouge, La., needed two staples to
close a deep cut in her head. She was admitted to the Cleveland Clinic and
was expected to stay overnight.
Culpepper, the reigning NCAA 3-meter champion and Southeastern
Conference platform champion, was competing in her first major
international meet. She qualified on both 3-meter and platform.
Culpepper Places Second in US Diving Finals and Gains Berth at US
Olympic Trials
Excerpted from: Austin American Statesman, 19 and 22 Apr 2000:
Austin's Ashley Culpepper placed second in the women's 3-meter
finals on Friday 21 Apr 2000 at the US National Indoor Diving
Championships at Minneapolis. As one of eight divers making Friday's
finals, Culpepper earned a spot on the US National Team and a berth at the
US Olympic trials. Standings: (1) Sara Reiling (Indiana University) 499.83
points; (2) Ashley Culpepper (unattached) 493.14 points.
Ashley
Culpepper
From LSU Sports Web
Site:
Only returning Lady Tiger... NCAA All-American, finishing seventh on
3-meter and eighth on platform... Was last year's "Most
Valuable" Athlete... Will be relied on heavily to lead the Lady Tiger
Divers to another great year... Expected to vie for a spot on the U.S.A.
2000 Olympic Team.
1998-99: Once again, one of the Lady Tigers' leading point
scorers... LSU top scorer on all three boards... Voted team Most Valuable
for second year in a row... NCAA All-American on the three-meter and the
platform... Finished seventh on the three-meter board and eighth on the
platform at NCAAs... Named Second-Team All-SEC in both the platform and
3-meter diving events... Placed fourth on the 3-meter springboard at the
U.S. Spring National Diving Championships... Placed second on the
three-meter and platform at SEC Championships... One of three girls
qualified for U.S. Olympic Trials on both three-meter and platform...
Placed fifth at summer Nationals and chosen for National Diving Team...
Placed 5th on the three-meter and 7th on ten-meter at Indoor Nationals.
1997-98: Had an outstanding freshman season... One of the Lady
Tigers' top point scorers... Led the divers in all diving events for both
dual meet and championship competitions... Missed the SEC Championships
due to an injured back... Was the Lady Tigers' lone competitor at the NCAA
Championships... Won the three-meter and placed second in the platform at
the NCAA Zone B Diving Regionals to qualify for NCAA competition...
Qualified to compete on all three boards at NCAAs... Earned All-America
honors on the platform, as Culpepper placed eighth with a score of
536.90... Finished ninth on the three meter with 495.20 and 12th on the
one-meter with 381.90... Ranks in LSU's all-time top-five list on all
three boards... Top diver in LSU history on the three-meter, third on the
platform and fourth on the one-meter... Won the team MVP award.
Prior to LSU: 1997 Junior Olympic National three-meter Champion...
Member of the 1996 and 1997 Junior and Senior U.S. National Team... 1996
bronze medallist at the Junior Nationals in both the three-meter and
platform events... Placed third at the 1996-97 Can-Am-Mex Championships on
the platform... Placed fifth in the 1996 Senior Nationals on the platform
and finished sixth in 1997... Four-time high school All-American and 1996
state champion... Placed in the top three in the state during her
sophomore and junior seasons.
Personal: Born February 23, 1979... Daughter of Michael and Robyn
Culpepper... Majoring in Elementary Education.
ASHLEY'S TOP SCORES
One-meter (6 dives) 301.50 Florida State
One-meter (10 dives) 431.15 Cajun Diving Classic
Three-meter (6 dives) 337.65 Miami (Fla.)
Three-meter (10 dives) 536.25 NCAA Regionals
Platform (8 dives) 384.50 NCAA Regionals
Platform (12 dives) 590.45 NCAA Championships
Ashley's parents are Michael and Robyn Culpepper of
Austin, TX, but Michael's ancestry is not currently known by Culpepper
Connections. If you know, please contact
us.
