JOHN KOVACH | Colleges Harding diver gets better at Clarion

CLARION, Pa. -- Jimmy McGee has discovered the formula for diving better, and he is revealing it to the world.
It is: Innovation plus challenge plus consistency equal improvement.
And how did he develop it?
"More consistency -- and I added some higher degree of difficulty. I challenged myself more by getting bigger dives, and I actually hit those bigger dives to help me do better," explained McGee, a sophomore diver for the Clarion University swimming team from Warren Harding High.
But a lot of practice went into his formula to act as a catalyst.
"A whole year of diving three or four hours a day got my dives more consistent," emphasized McGee, who was a red-shirt his first year at Clarion.
Moving up: By capitalizing on his strategy, McGee climbed five spots in 1-meter diving and three spots in 3-meter diving at the recent NCAA Division II National meet held at C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton.
The tactics helped him to improve to fifth place in both 1-meter (376.90 points) and 3-meter (396.65), to again earn All-American honors in both events; after finishing 10th and eighth, respectively, in his freshman debut last year.
McGee explained how the national competition works, noting that each diver was required to do 11 dives -- five voluntary and six optional -- in both 1- and 3-meter events.
"In optional, you create your own dives to get more points from the judges," McGee said. Whereas in the voluntary diving, following standard routines, "They just judge you on how well you do your dives."
New routines: McGee said he made changes to one of his optional routines, and then practiced diligently to make them work.
"On 1-meter optional, I added an inward double somersault dive and a back 1 1/2-twist dive," he said.
However, "On 3-meter optional, I did the same as I did last year, but I was more consistent on my dives than last year," he noted, crediting practice for that.
In the national meet, McGee helped Clarion, coached by Mark VanDyke, to an 11th-place finish with 129 points behind champion California-Bakersfield (621).
The son of Jim and Carol McGee of Warren, Jimmy is majoring in elementary education and has a 3.15 grade-point average. He would like to get a master's degree and become a teacher and swimming coach.
While at Harding, McGee was a diver for the school's swimming team for four years. His diving coach was Jack Thompson.
"He trained me," said McGee of Thompson. Harding's overall coach was Frank Supancic.
Trimbur, too: McGee wasn't the only Youngstown-area swimmer for Clarion in the national meet in Canton. He was joined by former Harding teammate Megan Trimbur, a freshman on the women's swimming team who, like McGee did last year, made an impressive national debut.
Two years younger than McGee, Trimbur made All-American in five events to help the Clarion women, also coached by VanDyke, to a sixth-place finish with 258 points behind champion Truman State (656).
Trimbur credits maturity and confidence to her performance.
"I felt that I was maturing in this meet. In college, you have to be more of a mature swimmer to succeed. You have to learn how to handle the competition and the big-meet environment. I believe that I am maturing and able to do this now. I grew into that this year," said Trimbur.
Performances: She placed 14th in the 50 freestyle (24.69), and was a member of four relay teams that finished in the top 10: the 200 medley (1:49.33), eighth; 200 freestyle (1:38.68), ninth; 400 freestyle (3:36.33), 10th; and 800 freestyle (7:52.23), 10th.
Trimbur also said swimming at the Branin Natatorium, and her determination, helped her.
"I was familiar to the pool. Our high school state meet was held there. The environment was kind of comfortable. And I felt that I had a lot to prove because I was just a freshman going in," said Trimbur."
The daughter of Sue and Tom Trimbur of Warren, Megan is majoring in sports management. She is eyeing a career in professional sports and as a swimming coach.
While at Harding, she also was coached by Supancic, and later by Brian Shaner.
She said Supancic, who resigned as Harding's coach her sophomore year, also swam at Clarion and helped to direct her there.
"It was through Supancic that I gained interest in Clarion. He gave me a lot of information," Trimbur said.