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'Pretty cool': Bexley's Jackson Monus repeats as OHSAA Division II state diving champion
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- 'Pretty cool': Bexley's Jackson Monus repeats as OHSAA Division II state diving champion
For now, Jackson Monus' second Division II state diving championship does not top the first on a personal level.
But the manner in which the Bexley sophomore sealed another title Tuesday at Branin Natatorium in Canton was indicative of his dominance the entire season.
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Ahead by 6.15 points after five rounds and 12.9 after six, Monus saved his best for last, averaging more than 41 points in his final five dives and scoring at least 48 points twice to pull away from the field.
Using an inward 1 ½ pike in the seventh round and back 1 ½ twist in the 11th and final round, dives that earned him 48.4 and 48.75 points, respectively, Monus finished with 444.55, 41.35 ahead of runner-up Charles Vatolin of Bay Village Bay. The same duo also finished first and second in 2024.
"Two of my stronger dives for sure," said Monus, who was the top seed entering state. "The front 2 ½ is up there with those; I got about 50 points or so on that in the second round. After some of those bigger dives where I scored more, that's where I thought I was taking off.
"Last year might have been better just because I was a freshman, but back-to-back is pretty cool. It feels pretty good."
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Monus won central Ohio's 46th state diving title .
"I think I stayed more on the calm side (than last year) and relaxed in between rounds," Monus said. "There were some times I had 20 or 24 minutes between dives at the start. I had to relax and not get too tight."
Bexley sophomore diver Jackson Monus receives his first-place medal from coach Jill McInerney at the Division II state meet Tuesday at Branin Natatorium in Canton.
In a high-scoring Division I meet later Tuesday, Westerville South sophomore Andrew Keir stormed into contention with 187.75 points on his final three dives and finished third (527.05).
After missing on his usual best dive, a front 2 ½ in the fourth round, Keir scored 70.5 in the ninth round with a reverse 2 ½. A reverse 1 ½, 1 ½ twist in the 10th round netted him 58.5 points, and he closed with a back 1 ½, 1 ½ twist for 58.75.
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"I was in the air (for the ninth dive) and it felt good," Keir said. "I kicked out and I remember going in super clean, then coming out and being super happy. (My final dives) have been a lot more consistent the last couple seasons."
Westerville South junior diver Andrew Keir hopes to win his first Division I state championship in his third appearance at the meet.
Solon junior Mitch Caldwell clinched his first title with 73.5 points on his final dive, a reverse 1 ½ with 2 ½ twists, holding off Perrysburg junior Trevor Madigan (531.15).
"I'm not sure (Caldwell and Madigan) counted me as competition because my dives weren't as hard as theirs, but hopefully they were feeling I was after the ninth round," said Keir, who was eighth at state as a freshman.
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Dublin Coffman senior Ben Edwardson placed eighth (428.85) in his third state appearance. Edwardson was 28th last year and 16th in 2023.
Dublin Coffman senior Ben Edwardson finished eighth in the Division I state meet.
Watkins Memorial sophomore Brezlin Harris also made a big jump, finishing 11th (413.55), 10 spots better than a year ago.
Dublin Jerome's Mason Sargel was 14th (405.3) in his third state meet and Gahanna Lincoln sophomore Dylan Sponseller, a two-time qualifier, finished 16th (385.6).
Whetstone sophomore Mac Plank was 20th (259.1), Big Walnut junior Andrew Boldizar was 25th (166.9) and Olentangy Liberty freshman Leo Ryan placed 32nd (140.45).
In Division II, Wellington's Jack McCarthy and Finn Wheeler finished 12th (310.75) and 13th (307.75), respectively, and Centennial's Daniel Barnes was 17th (222.4). All are seniors.
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DeSales seniors Phu Bui and Matthew Bogue were 20th (187.7) and 27th (108.2), respectively, and Watterson sophomore Kevin Feehan placed 29th (102.5).
Barnes, Boldizar, Feehan, Harris, McCarthy and Plank were at state for the second time.
Bogue, Bui and Wheeler made their only appearances in the meet Tuesday.
Girls diving is Wednesday in Canton.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: OHSAA diving: Bexley's Jackson Monus wins second straight title
