Freedom’s Sarah Gill and Moravian Academy’s Alexa Fegley were crowned District XI Diving Champions this past Saturday at Emmaus High School.

The district diving meet included eight divers from Class 3A, in which Gill is champion, and six divers from Class 2A, in which Fegley is champion. Gill also won the Dennis McGinley Award for Outstanding Diver.

“I’m very glad that it happened,” said Gill, whose high school, along with Liberty, was most affected by multiple COVID-19-related shutdowns and suspensions throughout the winter sports season. “I was very nervous because Wednesday I had a really good practice and nailed everything, and Thursday I was just so tired I couldn’t get any dives right.”

On Saturday, Gill saved her hardest dive for last, a back 1 1/2 somersault 1 1/2 twist with a 2.5 degree of difficulty.

“I think my last dive went well,” she said. “Yesterday in practice I was getting tired, probably from being back to school instead of being online. Sometimes I just know I’m not going to make it in good. So I just said, ‘Is it OK if I just do a back 1 1/2 twist?’ So I’m glad it ended up a lot better today.”

Gill’s total score was 386.95.

“Sarah did very well on her twisting dives,” said Coach Emily Kocis. “After the EPC meet, Sarah had a decent lead, and as long as she was able to keep that, she was, right out of the chute, pretty far ahead of everybody else.”

Fegley’s total score was 337.35.

“I feel great,” Fegley said. “I was very nervous, especially because [Bethlehem Catholic’s] Anna (Petke) and I were so close the whole season, but it was a good thing because we were able to push each other at practice and make each other better.”

Fegley’s 10th dive, a reverse dive semi, was one of her best, scoring 7, 6, 6 1/2, 6 1/2, 7.

“I had a good hurdle leading up to it, and I made sure my arms were above my head before leaving the board, and muscle memory. I do it a lot at practice, so it kind of just happens,” she said. “When I hit the bottom of the pool without trying to swim down, that’s how I usually know the dive was good.”

In practices leading up to districts, Fegley had been working on her hurdles and on finishing her dives in the vertical position.

“Alexa did very well on her voluntary dives,” said Coach Kocis. “ It’s been a tough season for them, especially for Alexa, because she never got to go to states last year. The day we were leaving was the day they canceled the event. I was pretty nervous, more so for Alexa, because she was nervous as well.”

This year, Fegley and Gill will compete at the PIAA State Diving Championships on March 13 at Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg, Pa.

“I feel very good,” Kocis said. “They’re both very aware of what their bodies are doing in the air, twisting and flipping, and they really hadn’t been on a diving board since March of last year. Then the season got consolidated, cut off, so instead of having a lot of practice, we had more meets, but I feel very good and very happy for both of them that they were able to overcome that COVID difficulty and come out on top today.”

District XI Girls 3A Diving

1. Sarah Gill (FRE) 386.95; 2. Rachel Marcus (EAS) 351.55; 3. Madison Cunard (EAS) 340.50; 4. Kenzie Reffle (SOLE) 336.50; 5. Nicole Stofko (PARK) 298.55; 6. Ally Roth (PARK) 297.65; 7. Cailin Connelly (FRE) 294.10; 8. Keller Pooley (LIB) 286.70

District XI Girls 2A Diving

1. Alexa Fegley (MOR) 337.35; 2. Anna Petke (BC) 321.80; 3. Greta Snukis (POTT) 264.40; 4. Melissa Ellis (SHAV) 224.60; 5. Olivia Lang (SHAV) 203.45; 6. Kylee Fehr (BMTN) 103.10