| Oakland’s first national
diving champion was Mary Vincent Perry, who captured the one-meter crown as a senior in
1984. It was the crowning accomplishment in a career that saw Mary earn five All-America
honors. Mary’s one-meter title came by less that
five points over runner-up Lisa Goodman of Northern Michigan. She just missed winning both
boards that year, finishing just .75 behind three-meter champion Susan Dales of Boston
College. The one-meter title must have been a surprise since she didn’t score on the
one-meter as a junior, placing fifth on the three-meter board. The previous year, the
first NCAA women’s competition, Mary placed third on the one-meter board and eighth
on the three-meter. She is a former school record holder in both events.
A recipient of a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in
early childhood education, Mary is now a full-time mother to sons Robby, 3, and Steve, 1,
after teaching third grade for two years. Her husband Bob, is a pilot for Delta. The
Perry’s live in Cincinnati, Ohio. |
