BY GoErie.com,

District 10 divers have flourished in recent PIAA meets.

That success spread to Titusville and North East on Saturday.

Robert Morris and Mac Lewis, the district's past two Class AA boys champions, placed fourth and fifth in the 1-meter competition at Bucknell University's Kinney Natatorium.

Morris totaled 406.95 points in his final event for the Rockets. Lewis, who took up the sport less than a year ago, finished fifth with 396.95.

Justin Duncan of South Park clinched his second straight PIAA title on the meet's final dive. Duncan repeated with 428.65 points, followed by David Magaro of East Pennsboro (411.85) and Jared Scheck (408.15) of Shady Side Academy.

"This is a great accomplishment for someone who only dives about four months a year and has a coach with gray hair," Titusville diving coach Gary Clark said. "Most of these guys that Robert faced here train for 12 months and have personal coaches."

The outcomes were poignant for Morris and Lewis.

Morris avenged his loss to Lewis at districts. He also medaled in his last meet with Clark, who will resign after eight years with the Rockets.

"I guess you could say because of him, I finally learned how to focus on the board this year," said Morris, who will resume his career at the University of Findlay. "This is a great way for coach and me to go out from Titusville."

Morris confessed he wasn't seriously pushed by most of the divers that the Rockets have faced. That's why he welcomed this season's out-of-nowhere appearance by Lewis.

Lewis had surgeries on both hips last year, the result of 13 years of gymnastics. The junior was reluctant when North East diving coach Sarah Land approached him about taking up the sport.

"I didn't really like it at first," Lewis said. "I tried it a couple times in the summer, but after September I really started to like it a lot. The feet entries were easy, but going in on my head wasn't as easy as it seemed to be."

Lewis was ninth going into the semifinals, but soared into serious medal contention after his eighth attempt, a difficult backwards 1½-somersault with 1½ twists. That moved him into fifth place, which he maintained throughout the three rounds of the finals.

"I really didn't think he'd come this far this fast," Land said.

Morris and Lewis comprised two-thirds of the district's AA entries.

Harbor Creek senior Kyle Johnson made the preliminary cut, but was eliminated after the semis. Johnson finished 20th with 222.55 points.

Lewis began the meet seeded third. Morris was fifth and Johnson was eighth.

MIKE COPPER can be reached at 870-1614 or by e-mail.

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