EF’s Guern wins WPIAL diving bronze medal
Jim Downey | Herald-Standard
Elizabeth Forward’s Gavin Guern completes a rotation on a dive attempt in Friday’s WPIAL Class AA Diving Championships at South Park High School.
Ringgold's Jonnie McDuffie pulls into the tuck position on a dive during Friday's WPIAL Class AA Diving Championships at South Park High School. McDuffie finished sixth and qualified for the PIAA Championships.
Uniontown's Alex Eitner enters to pool to complete a dive in Friday's WPIAL Class AA Diving Championships at South Park High School.
Laurel Highlands' Joe Chisler comes out of a turn and looks to the water in Friday's WPIAL Class AA Diving Championships at South Park High School.
SOUTH PARK — Elizabeth Forward’s Gavin Guern was third after the five-dive opening round and remained third after the three-dive semifinal.
The junior maintained his position after the final three dives Friday to take home the bronze medal at the WPIAL Class AA Diving Championship at South Park High School.
Ringgold’s Jonnie McDuffie also extended his season by another meet after moving into sixth place in the final round to qualify for PIAA Championships at Bucknell University.
Guern, who finished fourth last year, scored 198.90 points after the opening five dives. North Catholic’s Kyle Maziarz was first with 229.60 and Beaver’s Andrew Cestra sat in second place at 217.95.
Guern remained third after the next three dives, entering the finals with 314.55. Cestra moved atop the leaderboard with 364.50, just ahead of Maziarz’s 360.0.
Guern closed out the 11-dive competition with 434.40 points. Cestra leapfrogged Maziarz, winning the gold medal with 522.20. Maziarz finished second with 510.50 points.
Guern closed with a high degree of difficulty on his final dive.
“That was a big 11th dive. Nobody really does that dive,” explained Guern. “It was good for that degree of difficulty dive.
“It was real cool.”
The 2019 championship was Guern’s third appearance in as many years, so he was more relaxed this time around.
“I had a lot more confidence. I became a better diver, in general,” said Guern.
Guern looks to carry that confidence into the PIAA meet.
“(The state meet) is a lot of pressure. It’s pretty nerve-racking,” said Guern. “I did escape the first round last year. I let my nerves get the best of me.
“I’m going to try to do better. I want to go all the way.”
McDuffie was sixth after the first round with 165.10 points, but slipped to seventh after the semifinals with a 250.10 total.
The top eight medal, but only the top six qualify for the PIAA Championships. McDuffie hit his ninth dive and that sparked him to move back into sixth place with an 11-dive total of 365.90.
“Definitely, my ninth dive was my best,” said McDuffie. “I was a little nervous. I didn’t know how the 1½ would be. I was real good. (The ninth dive) really helped.”
McDuffie did a little better than he expected to do.
“I thought I was getting seventh or eighth,” explained McDuffie. “(Finishing sixth) was a bonus. I just wanted to do the best I can.”
Elizabeth Forward’s Andrew Palmer (20, 145.45) and Laurel Highlands’ Joe Chisler (19, 165.50) were eliminated after the semifinals, and Uniontown’s Alex Eitner (22, 85.25) did not advance out of the first round of dives.
Chisler was 10 points shy of advancing to the final round, and might have made it had his eighth and final dive been cleaner. The junior did not have a clean entry into the pool and did not score as he expected he should.
“The last dive was a newer dive. I should’ve practiced it more,” said Chisler. “If I would’ve hit it, I would’ve gone to the finals.
“But I’m glad to be here. It is what it is.”
Eitner’s championship run is not over with the 50 freestyle and freestyle relays this week in the WPIAL Class AA Swimming Championships at the University of Pittsburgh’s Trees Pool.
“The first two dives were decent. After the first two, things went down,” said Eitner. “I’m more focused on next Thursday, the 50 freestyle and 200 freestyle relay.”
Eitner said there should be a little carry over to the swimming finals.
“It has its ups and downs. I wanted to practice good entry, but it doesn’t help at all to take time from swimming to dive,” said Eitner.