For the Daily Journal
BLOOMINGTON
Entering the final three dives of the night on Tuesday, Johnson County’s divers faced different scenarios.
At the Bloomington North Regional, where the top eight finishers move on to the state finals, Franklin diver Gauge Creech had second place under wraps through eight dives.
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Whiteland senior Collin Barton didn’t have the same comfort. Barton was on the outside looking in, sitting in ninth.
While the odds were tough, both boys came through when it came time to approach the podium; Creech and Barton will travel to the IU Natatorium on Saturday.
Creech held tough for runner-up honors with 438.25 points, while Barton mounted a come-from-behind effort to finish seventh (357.20).
Seymour senior Devin Ramsey claimed his second regional championship by scoring 472.75.
Ramsey, who had the highest score in Indiana this past weekend with a 557.25 last at the Floyd Central Sectional, also won the regional his sophomore year before Creech took the crown a year ago.
Creech scored 196.55 through five rounds on Tuesday and 301.95 at the conclusion of eight.
“I feel like my dives were a little off today,” Creech said. “It was a little change of scenery, but nothing unexpected. I came here to have fun; I just wanted to finish in the top eight. Overall, I wish I could have changed a lot of things, but I thought it was a solid performance, too.”
Last weekend, Creech broke his own school record with a score of 498.25.
“The scoring was really tight today,” Creech said. “Usually, a lot of scores drop once they come here. You can’t really trust sectional scores. Here, it really dials you down. When you go to state, the scores typically go up from 20 to 50 points. While it was tight, it gives you a little more push to score higher at state.”
At the conclusion of eight dives, Barton was ninth with a a score of 252.95. He was 3.85 from eighth and 5.45 points from seventh. He also sat in ninth through the fifth round.
Barton said it was nerve-wracking going into the last three dives.
“At first, I was super stressed,” Barton said. “I didn’t think I was going to make it, and I wanted to cry at one point. Then, I said ‘It’s my senior year. I did what I wanted to complete this year. I just need to have fun and go with the flow.’ I couldn’t really complain about what was going on. I just had to push through.”
Creech said it feels good to be going back to state.
“It feels like an accomplishment,” he said. “Since I’ve been able to dive here for four years, it’s very exciting. I really enjoy this journey with (Barton) and Roger (Phillips of Mooresville) from our sectional. I’ve really enjoyed diving with these guys.”
This year’s state finals will be the first for Barton since his sophomore season.
“It’s not just a competition based on your skill, it’s also based on your passion for the sport,” Barton said. “If you’re not passionate, you won’t be able to make it to state. I’m glad that the people I get to go with are the people I know and love.”
