By Pete Borello

It’s not that he lacks confidence; you don’t become the top diver on the Stanford University men’s team without believing in yourself.

Yet even Adam Peterson admitted he exceeded his own expectations at the recent United States National Diving Championships.

“I did a lot better than I expected — I’m ecstatic,” the Los Altos resident said of his seventh-place finish in the 1-meter competition. “My goal was top 12.”

Peterson faced the nation’s top divers — including some with Olympic credentials — at the meet, held June 24-29 in Indianapolis.

The 1-meter event started with 28 divers, all of whom qualified for the National based on their results in regional competition.

Peterson placed eighth in the opening round of the National; the top 16 advanced. This is where the meet differed from most, as divers were paired up for head-to-head competition. The top performer in each pair moved on to the next round.

Peterson, who made it as far as the semifinals (scoring a 324.24), said he enjoyed the challenge of going one-on-one.

“It was one of the best competitions I’ve ever been in,” he said. “I just had a blast.”

Encouraged by his performance, the 2001 St. Francis High graduate is now aiming for the Olympic Trials. His last chance to qualify comes in January at the American Cup, where Peterson said he probably needs a top-eight finish to make it.

The Olympics don’t include a 1-meter event, though, so Peterson will be focused on improving his 3-meter skills.

He just missed qualifying for the National in the 3-meter, he was the first alternate.

Peterson, entering his junior year at Stanford, said he plans to spend the fall quarter preparing for the American Cup and gearing up for the next school season. He will also continue to work toward a degree in product design, a major Peterson described as similar to mechanical engineering.

Other locals compete at National

Two other Stanford divers with local ties competed on the women’s side of the National.

Los Altos Hills resident Sara Bowling, a 2002 graduate of Castilleja School, placed 19th in the platform competition. The soon-to-be sophomore tallied 196.32 points, just missing the semifinals.

Ashlee Rosenthal, a 2001 graduate of Gunn High, failed to make the final cut in the 3-meter event. Rosenthal, entering her junior year, placed 18th.