South Florida Sun Sentinel from Fort Lauderdale, Florida • Page 60

16C Sun-Sentinel, Thursday, March 16, 1995 Miami's Panaro boasts gold medal Confident U.S. diver wins 1-meter By SHARON ROBB Staff Writer MAR DEL a PLATA, Argentina Dean Panaro talked confi dently all week about his chances on the 1-meter and came within six inches of hitting the board. "I have this philosophy that no matter how many points I need to win that I'm going to try and dive for 10's every time," Panaro said. "Unfortunately, I got a little excited and pulled back over the board. A hundred things went through my mind: 'You dumb butt, you're going to hit the board and lose the event six inches more and I could be in the Luckily, I kept my head about me.

I gave myself a littfe scare but I still won." r- Panaro remained in Miami fcf-ter graduating with a business degree last year to continue working with coach Randy Ableman. The youngest of eight children, Panaro trains with the Miamj Diving Team, one of the nations top clubs. It was the U.S. Diving team's first gold medal at the Games-Mark Bradshaw and Melisa Mo; ses won silver medals on 3-mete Since elbow surgery in October to remove bone chips, Panaro confident about his chances of making the 1996 Olympic teanvt "I am absolutely 110 percent focused toward the Olympics," Panaro said. "I'm going to try and not let anything get in my way until I win a medal at the Olympics.

I'm in this for the big A Jy I If V. i rm i i springboard. So it came as no surprise when the brash 23-year-old Miami diver won the gold medal Wednesday at the 12th Pan American Games. It was how Panaro won that was so impressive. The four-time NCAA springboard champion led the six-dive, all-optional rounds from the start to capture his first gold medal in a major international competition.

"Confidence is a strange thing," Panaro said. "Sometimes it can hurt you sometimes it can help you. Luckily, today it helped me." Panaro totaled 404.820 points. Mexico's Fernando Platas, winner of the 3-meter gold on Sunday, added another medal to his collection, taking the silver with 395.700. Cuba's Abel Ramirez, who wears a back brace to and from the pool and between rounds to correct a spine curvature, was third with 375.840.

American Chris Devine was seventh with 338.670. Miami Diving's Dario DiFazio, representing Venezuela, was sixth with 345.900. It was Panaro's first international win since the 1991 Swedish Cup. "I was hopefully not going to let anyone stand in my way today," Panaro said. "I think this was my day.

I trained for it. I deserved to win it." Panaro started out with one of his hardest dives, an inward 2 'A somersault and scored 8.5's and 9's. From there, he said he knew he was in for a good day. "I really like to get a lead and hopefully pull away," Panaro said. In the sixth and final round, Panaro said he became anxious game.

Though 1-meter is not an Olympic event, Panaro said his chances on 3-meter are excellent. "I had a goal when I made the Pan Am team to win it, so'I trained very hard to do what I did today," Panaro said. "Now I refo-cus on 3-meter. til Panaro plans to send his medpj. to his parents in Cincinnati.

"My mom doesn't have the greatest knowledge about diving, but as long as I tell her I won she'll jj'e happy," he said. In today's women's 1-meter competition, Broward Community College graduate Melisa Moses goes for her second medal. fI Staff photoMARK RANDALL Miami Diving's Dean Panaro reaches new heights with his gold medal victory in the 1 -meter springboard at the Pan American Games. NOTEBOOK Two U.S. roller skaters expelled from Games Sun-Sentinel wire services MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina Two artistic roller skaters have been expelled from the U.S.

team at the Pan-American Games after an altercation in the athletes' village, officials said Wednesday. "The two athletes withdrew from the team after a violation of the U.S. Olympic Committee's athletes code of conduct," USOC spokesman Mike Moran said. "They left on Tuesday." Results. 14C The USOC identified the athletes as Richard Saucedo, a figure skater from Hay-ward, and Steven Siegmann, a dancer from Baltimore, Md.

Moran would not comment on the athletes' violation, but U.S. sources said the two had fought in the athletes village after consuming alcohol last weekend. Cuban gymnasts ring up gold Cuba's men's gymnastics team outperformed the Americans, winning four of six gold medals and seven medals overall in the individual apparatus event. The only American gold medalist was John Roethlisberger of Minneapolis on the high bar, followed by Bill Roth of Philadelphia. Roethlisberger also won a silver on rings behind Cuba's Damian Merino, and Roth got silver in floor exercises behind Merino.

All-around winner Erick Lopez of Cuba took the pommer horse, followed by Miahi Ba-giu of Albuquerque. Lopez also won on the parallel bars and Victor Solorzano of Venezuela was the vault winner. Shooting for Atlanta The strong showing by American shooters not only has brought medals to the U.S. total, it has guaranteed some spots at the 1996 Olympics. Pan Am gold medals in certain events can guarantee that someone from that country, even if it is not the shooter who won the gold, will be at that event in the next Olympics.

On Wednesday, U.S. shooters combined for 10 medals, five of them gold. Three of the golds came in the team competition, with the United States winning in women's air pistol, men's air pistol and trap shooting. Lance Bade won the gold in trap, while Bret Erickson took the silver. Connie Petracek won the women's air pistol individual and Elizabeth Bourland and Kate Kelemen won the silver and bronze in women's standard rifle prone.

Ben Amonette took a silver in men's air pistol. 1 The U.S. women's standard rifle prone team finished second behind Argentina. Elsewhere BASEBALL: Cuba remained unbeaten by routing Nicaragua 11-0 in a game that was called after seven innings by the mercy rule. Argentina improved to 3-1 when it beat Guatemala 7-2, and Mexico took Puerto Rico 6-4.

TENNIS: Americans were perfect. Ann Grossman, Grove City, Ohio, the second seed, beat Maria Francesa of Venezuela 6-1, 6-1, in women's singles. She then combined in doubles with Chanda Rubin, Lafayette, to beat Venezuelans Francesa and Ninfa Marra 6-1, 6-3. J.J. Jackson, Chapel Hill, N.C., blanked Sam Trevor of St.

Vincent's 6-0, 6-0. The doubles team of Don Johnson, Chapel Hill, and Jack Waite, Waukesha, had no trouble with Trevor and Grant Connell, winning 6-0, 6-0. FENCING: American Leslie Marx won the gold medal in the individual epee, taking a 15-13 deicision in the final over Cuba's Milagros Palma. In the team competition, the U.S. team won the silver, losing 45-33 in the final to Cuba.

SOFTBALL: The U.S. women's team had no trouble winning for the second time in as many games. Debbie Doom pitched a one-hitter and struck out six while the U.S. team collected 14 hits in an 11-0 romp past Netherlands Antilles. In men's action, Steve Price threw a no-hitter as Canada routed Aruba 12-0 and the Dominican Republic took Guatemala 5-2.

The American men edged the Dominican Republic 4-3. SOCCER: Ecuador beat Trinidad Tobago 4-1 and Costa Rica routed Bermuda 5-0. Mexico took Colombia 3-0, while Brazil and Chile tied 1-1. FIELD HOCKEY: The United States defeated Trinidad Tobago 8-1, with Marq Mel- lor scoring four goals and Olaf Maack adding two. Argentina's women blanked Canada 3-0, while Trinidad Tobago took Paraguay 4-0.

VOLLEYBALL: The U.S. women moved to 4-0 with a resounding 15-3, 15-1, 15-4 victory against Peru. The Americans scored 13 straight points in the opening set, and later had runs of 12 and 16 consecutive points. Tee Williams had 13 kills. Argentina beat the U.S.

men's team 15-6, 15-12, 15-8 before an excited, flag-waving home crowd. BOWLING: The U.S. women bowled for the gold and bronze medals in the doubles competition, with Venezuela taking the silver. TEAM HANDBALL: A boisterous crowd cheered on the home team, but the U.S. women's team opened Pan Am play with a 22- 12 win over Argentina.

Chryss Watts had seven goals to pace the United States. Cuba lost its opener to Brazil 28-25. BADMINTON: Kevin Han and Thomas Reidy, both of Colorado Springs, beat Canada's Jamie Dawson and Don Yung 15-9, 15-10, reaching the doubles finals In men's play. They were the only Americans to advance to the finals as Canadians won the other SWIMMING iiJJ I Ca i I I I IP fjn rn a ti i VLmLUMEUiUJ MULLLUJWJJ1 FROM PAGE 1C Breaststroker has 2 medals and will get shot at another pic Trials next March in Indianapolis. FLST's Todd Torres, representing Puerto Rico, was fourth in 2:20.57.

Van Neerden led from the start and increased the tempo in the final 50 meters. "That was probably the best planned race I set up," he said. Van Neerden said he enjoyed the 200 more because it gave him more time to "play" with the field. "I know that I can go one stroke to their two strokes. You can see them taking twice as many strokes.

The last 50 it was 'see "It would have been nice to go a little faster, but I'll take the win. I was just thinking about winning another gold medal. I was more pumped for this race." Van Neerden has a shot at a third gold medal Friday in the medley relay on the final day of the swimming competition. At his highest training level, van Neerden puts in meters six days a week to swim 1- and 2-minute races. Unlike 1992, when he concentrated on one event, van Neerden said he is committed to making the Olympic team in both breaststroke events.

Canada's Lisa Flood, 23, also of FLST, won her second gold medal. She swept the breaststrokes by winning the 100 in 1:10.36. Other American winners: Amy Van Dyken in the 100-meter butterfly (1:00.71) and Josh Davis in the 400-meter freestyle The U.S. men's 400-meter free relay team of Gary Hall, Tom Jager, Josh Davis and Jon Olsen kept its win streak alive at the Games by winning in a Games-record 3:18.60. The U.S.

teams have 32 medals, including seven men's golds and another seven for the women. Former Pine Crest and Mission Bay swimmer Trina Jackson was top qualifier in Wednesday's 800 prelim in 8:37.30. Brooke Bennett was second-fastest in 8:47.38. The final is today. ENJOY OUR SAINT PATRICK'S DAY! ft 'i it fuiju 'Amateur' fencer wins dream gold New YorK Dally Newt MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina The stuff of a storybook? That's how it felt to Peter Westbrook on Tuesday night when the New Yorker and fencing legend won the sabre gold medal 15-5 against Cuban Aristedes Faure in Westbrook's sixth and last Pan Am Games competition.

"I prepared myself both mentally and physically as much as any 42-year-old could competing against opponents half my age," Westbrook said. "The Cubans are professionals and I'm just an amateur. They probably train more in one day than I do all week. But I have done this too many times and I proved myself again tonight." Westbrook, who won a bronze medal in Los Angeles in 1984, was the American flag-bearer In opening ceremonies here, as he was in closing ceremonies in Barcelona. "It'p like a dream come true," Westbrpok said.

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