Carei wins Class AA diving gold medal
Braden Carei got off to a strong start and the Uniontown senior kept rolling all the way through his final dive Wednesday to capture the gold medal in the WPIAL Class AA Diving Championships at Moon High School.
Carei’s point total of 461.0 points not only set a school record, but also established a new mark for the host school’s pool. Jonathan Jones was a two-time gold medal winner (2010-11), giving the Red Raiders three champions this decade.
Laurel Highlands’ Theo Skoric finished fourth with 399.65 points. Both divers advanced to the PIAA Championships at Bucknell University.
The Mustangs’ John Ek also competed, but did not advance to the final round. The Lady Raiders’ Maeve Carei finished 11th in the girls championship with 283 points, the top point total for freshmen in the competition.
Carei led from start to finish throughout the three rounds of competition.
“I had a very strong start. I had the lead throughout the meet,” said Carei. “The first dive, that really gave me confidence.”
Carei was situated in the middle of the lineup through the first two rounds of diving (eight dives), but was the final diver in the three-dive final.
Divers in dual meets have six dives, so the district finals basically doubled the dive list.
“My six-dive total was 283, a PR (personal best),” said Carei.
After successfully completing the five-dive first round, Carei faced the three-round semifinals with three of his lesser dives.
“The middle three were not my strongest dives. Once I got through, I knew I was okay. It was definitely a confidence boost,” explained Carei.
Carei battled Skoric for sixth place last year with the LH diver getting the edge, but still advanced to states. Carei missed advancing to the finals by one diver.
“This year, my goal was to win (the WPIAL championship),” said Carei.
Carei was used to this level of competition, doing well in cross country at both the district as well as the state level.
“I was a little nervous. I had a plan in my head how I was going to handle it. (Competing in the other sports) are different, but it preps the way you’re going to feel,” said Carei.
The top three divers all finished with over 400 points. South Fayette’s Trevor Mahoney was second with 427.65 points and Knoch’s Ben Lowrey was third with 424.40. Brentwood’s Tyler Jorgenson (5, 394.30) and Indiana’s Morgan Madill (6, 305.95) rounded out the top six.
This was Skoric’s third trip to the WPIAL finals, so he understood what was at stake.
“I started strong, but through the middle I had some missteps. (Dives) 5-7-8 were off. That really threw me off. The nerves got to me,” said Skoric. “I’ve been here before. I took a deep breath and finished strong.
“Going into warmups with Braden, we knew it was going to be a good day. We thought four guys would be vying (for the top medals).”
Coupled with Connellsville’s Luke Kisiel finishing eighth Monday in the Class AAA finals, Fayette County had a strong showing on the board.
“We all compete against each other. It’s always fun to dive against the top divers of the county,” said Skoric. “Braden and I train together and we’re always pushing each other.”
Both Skoric and Carei return to the pool, the University of Pittsburgh’s Trees Pool this time, in the WPIAL Class AA Swimming Championships. Skoric and the Mustangs are seeded fourth in the 200 freestyle relay.