Marysville's Sophia Stamm falls just short of OHSAA Division I girls diving title
Despite competing in her third consecutive state diving meet and holding the top seed in Division I, Marysville’s Sophia Stamm swore she felt no pressure as the favorite Wednesday at Branin Natatorium in Canton.
“Definitely not,” said Stamm, a junior who finished fifth and eighth the past two years while diving for Division II Buckeye Valley. “It’s my first year in D-I, so I didn’t feel like anybody really knew me.”
If that was the case, Stamm was part of a thrilling finish few in attendance will forget anytime soon.
Stamm and Cincinnati Walnut Hills’ Elleka Boeres alternated first and second place over the final four rounds, with Stamm building as much as an 11-point cushion before Boeres erased that advantage with a 47-point performance on her ninth dive. Neither led by more than a point the rest of the way, with Stamm leading by 0.45 entering the final round before Boeres scored 40.95 and Stamm 39.6 on their 11th and final efforts.
Stamm finished with 440.7 points, 0.9 behind Boeres, an Illinois signee who won her first state title.
“(Stamm) was really solid through the middle rounds and she did her best on her last dive (a front 1 ½ with a full twist and 2.2 degree of difficulty), but it was so close,” said Jen White, Stamm’s high school and club diving coach. “She stayed solid and calm the whole time.”
Boys diving: New Albany's Hamish Patel finishes second in Division I
Stamm was 0.85 behind Solon’s Bethany Mercer after five rounds, then scored 40.95, 36.55 and 44.85 on her next three dives — the latter on a back 1 ½ — to forge ahead by 10.7 points through eight rounds.
“It was stressful thinking what I needed to get past (Boeres),” said Stamm, who was trying to become central Ohio’s first diving champion since Olentangy Liberty’s Olivia Lynch and Worthington Christian’s Lena Morgan swept the division I and II titles in 2020. “I just sat down, re-watched my dives and focused on myself. My front 2 ½ reverse, reverse 2 ½ and back 1 ½ worked really well for me.
“This still felt good. I’ve been working hard. It’s a big accomplishment.”
The other two central Ohio divers in the finals finished just off the podium. Olentangy Orange’s Augusta Ness placed 10th (390.15) in her third state meet, two spots better than a year ago, and Gahanna Lincoln’s Victoria Miller was 11th (387.9).
Liberty’s Kylie Moreland placed 19th (251.05).
Pickerington North’s Sofia Frangos, who was seeded third behind Stamm and Ness, finished 23rd (160.5). Watterson’s Olive O’Dorisio was 27th (156.5) and New Albany’s Anna Richardson placed 31st (144.1).
Earlier Wednesday in the Division II meet, Columbus Academy’s Elle Vahedian finished 15th (315.65). It was the second state appearance for Vahedian, a sophomore who was 23rd a year ago.
“She learned a lot from last year and knew she could pull off some hard dives to make it into the final,” Academy coach Jill McInerney said. “She learned a back 1 ½ and inward 1 ½, which increased her (degree of difficulty), and those really paid off.”
Chagrin Falls’ Samantha Holtz won the title (454.95).
Wellington’s Tyla DeBose finished 27th (124.95), ahead of the Columbus School for Girls duo of Delaney Woods (29th, 121.05) and Mackenzie Gibson (30th, 117.1). All three were competing in their first state meet, as were Frangos, Moreland and Richardson.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Marysville's Stamm finishes second at OHSAA girls state diving
