By RICHIE HALL
FISHERS – The top four divers at last Saturday’s Hamilton Southeastern sectional are also the top four divers at Tuesday’s Fishers regional.
The places were different, but the same four student-athletes finished in the top four during Tuesday’s competition at the Tigers’ pool. Fishers sophomore Jacob Schade was the winner, getting the championship on his home turf.
Schade edged out Oak Hill sophomore Grant Cates for first place, scoring 501.50 points to Cates’ 499.95. Two Hamilton Heights juniors were next in line: Nathan Cox finished third with 492.30 points, while his Huskies teammate Ethan Swart placed fourth with 477.50 points. The top eight divers at regional advance to Saturday’s state finals, so they will continue their battle at the IU Natatorium.
Schade trailed Swart after six dives, but scored 60.45 points on his seventh dive to take the lead. Cox jumped into the competition with his seventh dive, scoring 63.55 points to move up to second. In the eighth round, Cox jumped into first place with a 46.2-point dive.
The standings after eight dives were Cox with 367.10 points and Schade with 361.65. Schade scored nearly 40 points on his ninth dive to move back into first place, and held on from there with two more solid dives. Cates scored 61 points on his 10th dive and 52.8 on his 11th and final dive, but Schade was able to hang on.
The regional meet was the first time Schade had ever broken the 500-point barrier, making it a personal best for him.
“It feels great,” said Schade, who was happy that his hard work had paid off with a regional title. He credited his coach and teammates with helping to “bring me up and really get me to where I am right now.”
Hamilton County will have a fourth diver at state. Noblesville sophomore Aiden Kless, champion of his own sectional, placed sixth with 391.25 points. Another Millers sophomore Colton Suhan placed 10th at the regional, scoring 328.75 points.
Carmel’s Connor Sweeney placed 13th after eight dives, with a score of 233.70 points. There were 19 divers at the start of regional (one had to withdraw due to injury), and the top 12 after eight dives advanced to the finals, where they had three more dives. Sweeney missed the top 12 by less than a point, but he is also a sophomore and had a solid showing in his first regional.
State diving begins Saturday morning at 9 a.m. with the top 32 divers competing in the prelims. Each diver will have five rounds, then the top 20 advance to the semi-finals, where they perform three more dives. The top 16 will advance to the afternoon finals, with three more dives to determine the state champion.