South Fayette repeats as WPIAL diving champion
Winning a second straight WPIAL diving title required nerves of steel for Trevor Mahoney. And, during the Class AA championships held Feb. 24 at Moon, the South Fayette senior mastered the concept of mind over matter to narrowly defeat the competition.
In addition to his extensive training with three different coaches, including his high school skipper A.J. Mannarino and his assistants Julie Heynes and John Gray, as well as club mentor Amber Hartung, Mahoney participated in mental exercises.
“Diving is all mental. It gets into one’s mind, particularly if you have a bad dive,” Mannarino said. “In order to be successful, you have to be able to focus your thoughts and visualize. Trevor was able to do that.”
Mahoney zeroed in on his target, especially during the final round of dives. He trailed after the preliminaries but took the lead during the semifinals and clinched the title on his final attempt to edge John Ek of Laurel Highlands, 427.05-426.15. Mahoney had beaten Ek for the 2016 title.
Mahoney, who was a fifth-place finisher as a freshman and runner-up as a sophomore, said that being a defending champion adds pressure but this year he was more relaxed because of his mental training.
“I used to be super stressed out and overthink everything, but this year I came in with the right attitude. I didn’t overthink anything. I just dove the way I knew I could.”
Mahoney admitted it wasn’t his best performance. “I know I can dive better,” he said.
He plans to do just that when the PIAA championships are held March 15-18 at Bucknell University.
“States is the next goal. My major goal,” said Mahoney, who was the bronze medalist last year..
Mahoney achieved his initial goal of winning the district title by nailing a two-and-one-half somersault as well as a reverse dive during the semifinals. He also noted that his first dive during the second round of the competition “gave him all the confidence he needed for the rest of the competition. I felt I was consistent all day.”
Mannarino noted Mahoney’s mental approach improved throughout the event because he was venturing into somewhat uncharted territory against unfamiliar foes.
“Trevor had to focus and be prepared because he was facing all new competition. He added mental exercises to his training and that has helped a lot. He was able to focus his thoughts and visualize his dives.”
Mahoney added that the mental aspect of his diving was key.
“I was patient, confident and happy out there. If I could do all three of those things at the same time, then I could be successful and I was.”
After his scholastic days are completed, Mahoney hopes to dive in college. Recruited heavily, he has narrowed his choices to Clarion, Westminster and Cleveland State University.
Note: Mahoney’s teammate, Shane O’Donnell, finished sixth at the competition. The freshman is one of the top six divers to advance to the PIAA championships.