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Vallinger, Wilkens, Sabol to dive at state
By JOE SCALZO
Vindicator sports staff
YSU diving coach Nick Gavolas will be in Chicago for the Penguins’ conference meet the next four days at the same time three of his high school divers are competing in the state meet in Canton.
Normally, he spends state diving meets pacing back and forth — “I put five or six miles in throughout the meet,” he said — but at conference meets, he serves as a judge, so he has to sit still.
That doesn’t mean he won’t be nervous.
Since the two events coincide, he’ll spend his free time this week on the phone getting updates from Ron Navarra Jr., who serves as the prep diving coach for Canfield, Boardman, Poland and Cardinal Mooney.
“They have Skype now, too” said Gavolas, referring to an online video conference service. “I told Ron to Skype ‘em.”
The three prep divers — the only three to qualify for Canton from the tri-county area — are all coached by Gavolas. Poland senior Tricia Vallinger, who placed eighth in Division II last year, will make her fourth straight state appearance. Junior teammate Anna Sabol will make her first appearance — she just missed qualifying last year after failing on her last dive — while Canfield senior Elizabeth Wilkens will make her second appearance and first in Div. I.
Wilkens also qualified two years ago.
“I thought she should have made it last year,” Gavolas said of Wilkens. “Like a typical coach, I thought the judging was bad.
“But you can’t leave those things up to the judges. You’ve got to dive well and she was not quite herself that meet.”
All three divers have different strengths, Gavolas said.
“Anna has great lines,” he said. “When she does an entry, it’s pretty good. She’s tall with great length and a great toe point.”
Wilkens, meanwhile, has terrific jumping ability.
“She jumps through the roof,” he said. “When she does a double, she gets so high it’s like she falls from the sky, which is a big asset, especially in this sport.
“She’s got pretty good lines, too. Not as good as Anna, but good enough.”
Vallinger, whole older sister Mary is a two-time conference diver of the year at Mount Union, has tremendous power.
“When she finally learns to finish a dive, she’s going to be exceptional,” Gavolas said.
Even though he won’t be in Canton, Gavolas knows his divers are in good hands.
Navarra is Gavolas’ assistant diving coach at Timberbrook and was voted the 2010 diving coach of the year by the Northeast Aquatic Conference.
“It’s tough, it really is,” Gavolas said. ““We need to figure out how to put a Web cam in there.”
scalzo@vindy.com