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O’Rourke lands state, Federation diving titles by Eric Keppeler
One title just wasn’t enough. Grand Island junior Ian O’Rourke already knew what it was like to win a state diving title – so he expanded his horizons this year by repeating as the New York state public high school diving champ, and adding a Federation crown to his already impressive resume at last weekend’s state meet at the Erie Community College Flickinger Center. “Last year was great, but this is even more special,” O’Rourke said. “It’s a cool honor because now I can say that I’m the best high school diver in the entire state.” The Federation meet – which runs simultaneously with the public school meet but adds the scores of competitors from private and Catholic schools – was a major source of motivation for O’Rourke, who missed out on that title last year. In order to take that next step in his sport, O’Rourke decided to add even more difficulty to his dives this year in hopes of boosting his scores. His efforts paid off. “He knew that he had to do something even more difficult in order to advance,” Grand Island swim coach Rob Collard said. “I’m always impressed by his work ethic, not surprised by it. He works hard for what he gets – this result is an affirmation of his work ethic, in and out of the pool.” O’Rourke was the leader through eight dives in Friday’s preliminary action, although there were others within striking distance. He was able to maintain his intensity when he returned to the pool Saturday morning to stay ahead of the competition. He finished with a score of 530.15, followed by Mike McDowell of Rushford (498.30), Nathan Geary of Lancaster (484.45) and Shawn Hoffman of North Tonawanda (463.30). “I was happy with the way things were going on Friday,” O’Rourke said. “I just tried to stay focused on Saturday. I didn’t try to beat anyone in particular – I just went out and tried to do my best. And I was pretty happy with the result.” His score also qualified him for his third straight All-America Diving Team. Actually, it’s his fifth straight qualifying score dating back to seventh and eighth grades – but middle school students aren’t eligible for All-America consideration. O’Rourke will have the unique opportunity next season to become a four-time All-America selection. “It’s remarkable,” he said. “To be near the top for this long is impressive, especially for someone as young as me and in so little time.” So what can he do for an encore? O’Rourke plans to compete this summer in the Empire State Games and dive with his travel team. In his senior year, he hopes to defend his state and Federation titles while breaking records along the way. He hasn’t committed to any college yet, but he’s drawing plenty of interest. His long-term goal is representing his country in the Olympics. “He can still get a lot better,” Collard said. “The competition level is even higher in other parts of the country, so there’s always somebody out there who can beat you. But that’s what drives Ian to get better.”
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