Skip to main content

15-year-old Windle wins men’s 10-meter title

By WTOP Staff

STEVE MEGARGEE
AP Sports Writer

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jordan Windle is a national champion diver before he’s old enough to be a licensed driver.

Windle, who doesn’t turn 16 until November, convincingly won the men’s 10-meter title with 527.8 points Sunday to cap the final day of the U.S. national diving championships. Windle exceeded 90 points on each of his first three dives.

He started his day by earning 103.6 points on a forward 4 ½-somersault tuck. That was the only 100-point dive by anyone in the six-day event.

“It definitely boosted my confidence,” Windle said. “From there on, my coach was really excited for me and just told me to have fun and stuff. That’s what I did through the whole event.”

This is the latest chapter in Windle’s compelling rise.

Windle was born in Cambodia and was placed in an orphanage as a baby after his parents died. He was adopted as an 18-month-old and moved to the United States. He now lives in Morrisville, North Carolina.

Windle started diving at age 7. When school ended his family wanted to him to go to summer camp. A diving camp happened to be available.

“That was the only one that was open that I could get into because it was a little late getting into one,” Windle said. “I just thought it was a very interesting sport, so I just did it from there on.”

Although Windle earned four gold medals and one silver at the junior national championships this month, Sunday marked his best day yet as a diver. Windle won the 10-meter championship by nearly an 85-point margin over Mark Anderson, who had 442.9 points. Zachary Cooper was third with 426.55.

Windle wasn’t the only diver with reason to celebrate.

Ariel Rittenhouse of Santa Cruz, California, closed a productive week by winning the women’s 3-meter competition with 350.45 points. Laura Ryan was second with 336.75 points and Elisabeth Dawson was third with 328.5.

Rittenhouse, a 2008 Olympian, had teamed with Amanda Burke of Southampton, Pennsylvania, to win the 3-meter synchronized title a day earlier. Rittenhouse also placed second in the 1-meter Wednesday.

“I feel really good about how I did,” Rittenhouse said. “I was pretty consistent all week, which was nice. It was a very long week … and so I’m just happy with how consistent I dove and that I was able to keep it up all week.”

Joining Rittenhouse as a double winner was Samantha Bromberg of Bexley, Pennsylvania. Bromberg and Emma Ivory-Ganja of The Woodlands, Texas, college teammates at Texas, won the women’s 10-meter synchronized title Sunday with 305.16 points. Rachel Rubadue and Olivia Rosendahl finished second with 258.33 points. Brooke Pospichal and Annie Wiese were third with 241.5.

Bromberg, who is recovering from a sprained ankle, already had won the women’s 10-meter individual championship Saturday.

Cory Bowersox of Fairfax, Virginia, and Zachary Nees of Hatfield, Pennsylvania, won the men’s 3-meter synchronized championship with 407.13 points, edging Bryce Klein and Bradley Christensen by 1.35 points. Ryan Hawkins and JB Kolod were third with 388.29.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote