Continued: Diving right in

Divers Maggie Klabunde of Fridley and Tori Raihle of Spring Lake Park don't really know each other outside of the pool. But they know good diving when they see it, and they see it when they compete against one another.

Both made their Class 1A state meet debuts last season. Klabunde, then a sophomore, finished second overall and three spots ahead of Raihle, then a freshman. Both are expected to be in the hunt for a state championship this season.

"Pretty much from Day 1 we've talked about how she is the next in line to win state," coach Dan Croaston said of Klabunde.

"It's definitely one of my goals to beat Maggie at state," Raihle said.

If both reach the state meet, it would mark the sixth time these North Suburban Conference and Section 2 rivals sprang from the same 1-meter diving board. Raihle has prevailed in their first two meetings this season, continuing a trend established in 2007 when she finished ahead of Klabunde everywhere but the state meet.

Their coaches credit Klabunde and Raihle for possessing similar attributes: an ability to focus and execute dives. Though they have arrived at similar destinations, their paths to success greatly vary.

Raihle hones her skills in the offseason, diving for her father, Lee, at ABC Diving Club. He also coaches the boys' divers at Fridley and the girls' divers at Andover. Croaston said Lee was on the judging panel in 1997 when he won a Class 2A state diving title while diving for Champlin Park.

Klabunde does not dive in the offseason, though she has been giving it more thought. Her second-place finish at state last November yielded more than 30 letters from interested colleges.

She drew inspiration last season going to see the film Peaceful Warrior, a movie in which the protagonist, a gymnast, attempts "to make sense of his life in which he is successful but still unfulfilled" according to the Internet Movie Database.

Maggie the Movie Critic gave it one thumb up, one thumb down.

"It was only in theaters for about a day," she said. "It wasn't very entertaining but it had a good moral to the story -- relax and be in the moment."

While Klabunde enjoyed a strong second day, Raihle struggled. She stood third after the first day but miscues throughout the second day prevented her from rising any higher. Her coach, John Madura, said the experience was good for Raihle.

"She is very coachable," he said. "She always listens and is willing to make changes to avoid getting into ruts."

Raihle won the first two meets against Klabunde this season, the most recent a dual meet Sept. 4 at Spring Lake Park. The pair exchanged high-fives and shouts of encouragement throughout the meet. They will compete again at the Panther Invite back on Sept 13 back at Spring Lake Park.

"After our last meet we both pretty much said, 'Good job,' and 'See you soon,'" Raihle said.

David La Vaque • 612-673-7574