FEDERAL WAY, Wash. -- Kristian Ipsen topped the 3-meter springboard preliminaries at the U.S. Olympic diving trials Wednesday, with synchro partner Troy Dumais in second.
Ipsen totaled 511.90 points in the six-round competition outside of Seattle. Dumais had 465.70.
Eighteen divers advanced to the evening semifinal. Scores carry over each round.
On women's 10-meter platform, Brittany Viola led all five prelim rounds in scoring 380.55 points, including a 10.0 on her first dive. Katie Bell, who trains at Ohio State, was second at 339.25.
Ipsen took over the lead on his third dive and maintained it the rest of the way. He's seeking his first Olympic berth, although the Stanford sophomore-to-be has two world meets under his belt. He and Dumais won a silver medal in 3-meter synchro at the 2009 worlds in Rome, and they were fourth last year in Shanghai.
Ipsen got his highest scores on a reverse with 3½ somersaults in the fifth round, then followed up with a reverse 1½ somersaults with 3½ twists that earned mostly 9.0s on his final dive.
Dumais led after the opening round, briefly dropped to third and rebounded to second. He was helped with a strong fourth dive that received 8.5s and 9.0s.
"I wasn't hitting the entries I normally hit," he said. "The idea is to keep building. All these lists count, so it's important. I'm in a good place."
The 32-year-old diver is bidding to join Greg Louganis as the only American men to make four Olympic diving teams. Dumais arrived in Seattle with strep throat and a virus that nearly caused him to lose his voice.
"I still don't have a full voice," he said, adding that sometimes illness can work to an athlete's advantage. "It keeps you settled down. I have to figure out how to manage it."
Chris Colwill, who finished 12th on 3-meter at the Beijing Olympics, was third at 458.90.
Justin Dumais, one of Troy's three brothers, was fourth at 419.35. Another brother, Dwight, also advanced in seventh.
Thomas Finchum was fifth. The 2008 Olympian already reached the 10-meter platform final.
Viola, the 25-year-old daughter of 1987 World Series MVP Frank Viola, is competing in her third trials. She came close to making the Olympic team four years ago, but finished fourth.
"There's been a lot of lessons, a lot of them have been very challenging," she said. "My body feels very good. I'm so thankful. I'm in the best shape I've ever been in."
Viola received the only 10 of prelims on her opening forward 3½ somersault. She scored slightly more points for her second dive before settling into a consistency over the final three rounds.
"To start off like that is wonderful, but it's also a reminder to go on to the next one," she said. "I just had a blast. I'm really enjoying the competition. I'm in a very peaceful place."
Her father, the 1988 AL Cy Young Award winner, couldn't get away from his job as pitching coach for the Savannah Sand Gnats, the New York Mets' Single-A affiliate, to attend the trials. But her mother and sister are here.
Among the other 18 women advancing to the evening platform semis were Amy Korthauer in third, followed by Laura Ryan, Anna James and Victoria Lamp. Haley Ishimatsu was seventh.
