CLARION McGee diving to new heights

To make All-American, a diver must finish in the top eight at the national event.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CLARION, Pa. -- Springing higher off the board and primed by experience, confidence and coaching, junior diver Jimmy McGee of Clarion University and Warren Harding High is hoping to add more All-American honors in the NCAA Division II National Swimming and Diving Championships this week in Orlando, Fla.
"I'd say this year I have a little more height on my dives. I think that is [helping] to be a key factor," said McGee, a three-time All-American who is looking to earn two more such awards this week.
"The more height you get, the higher you finish the dives. It is more appealing to the judges,"
He qualified for the national meet for the third straight year in both 1- and 3-meter springboard diving.
He passed the 1-meter test at the Clarion Invitational with a score of 443 points (needing 440 or better), which also qualified him automatically in 3-meter.
Confidence: McGee, who didn't dive 3-meter until he got to Clarion and was a freshman redshirt, said he "feels confident" [which] "is something that another year of diving under my belt [gave me]. I got more comfortable.
"My coach at Clarion, Dave Hrovat, has helped my career greatly," McGee said. "He truly is to me an outstanding coach. He brought me to the confidence level I have now. He was a great diver himself for Clemson, a Division I All-American. He has a lot of knowledge in diving."
McGee explained that to make All-American, a diver has to finish in the top eight in each event at the national, which began today and runs through Saturday.
"You get 11 dives in each event," said McGee, noting that points are accorded for each dive based on performance.
3-time honoree: Last year, he gained All-American honors in both diving events with fifth-place finishes.
The year before, he won All-American in 3-meter by placing eighth, but missed out in 1-meter with an 11th-place finish.
"I will be happy to finish in the top eight in both events," said McGee, noting that there will be 18 divers in each event this year. That means that all 18 divers will have to pre-qualify to make the final 16.
In order to win, "I would have to have flawless performances in each dive."
The son of Carol and Jim McGee of Warren, Jimmy is majoring in elementary education with a 3.3 grade-point average, and is planning to graduate in the spring of 2002. He expects to do student teaching in the fall.
While with the Warren Harding swim team, his coach was Jack Thompson.
McGee is among eight Clarion men's team members, including four divers, to make the national meet. The Eagles posted an 8-1 dual-meet record after going 7-2 last year under Coach Mark Van Dyke.
Two others: Also with the Clarion men's team are sophomore Jeff Alley and freshman Kevin DiVincenzo, both also from Warren Harding.
The pair scored points for Clarion in the 44th Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships held Feb. 21-23 at Clarion's Waldo S. Tippin Natatorium as they helped the Eagles (480.5 points) finish runner-up behind West Chester (593).
DiVincenzo was seventh in the 100 breaststroke (1 minute, 01.31 second) and 12th in the 200 breaststroke (2:18.35), while Alley was 11th in the 400 individual medley (4:29.52).
kovach@vindy.com