Harrity taking diving to new heights at Norristown
Carley Harrity has come so far so fast, already diving her way into Norristown history.
“Just two years ago, she was afraid to do a one and a half,” said her coach, Luke Stem. “And then this year, her (degree of difficulty) is up there with anybody that’s come through this school, probably in the last 10 years. It’s pretty impressive.”
Harrity, in just her second full year of diving, is putting her name in some pretty lofty places at Norristown. Breaking a 36-year-old school record (334.7), replacing the previous mark held by Stacie Indelicarto — now Stacie Staufenberg, a member of Norristown’s Hall of Champions, Harrity is in the midst of quite a senior season for the Eagles.
“It’s great, great that (Carley) could break my coach’s record,” Stem said of Staufenberg, who was the Eagles’ diving coach for several years. “It’s great to see how far Carley’s come from where she started.”
Before their names intertwined on the record board, Harrity and Staufenberg first crossed paths several years ago — in the sport of field hockey. Staufenberg coached Harrity when she was a youngster.
Harrity would go on to excel in gymnastics and has brought her talents to the diving board.
“I definitely have progressed a lot,” said the senior, who jumped to a fifth-place finish at the Suburban One League American Conference Championships two weeks ago and will compete at the District One Championships on Saturday.
“My goal coming into the year was to break the 11-dive record at Suburbans, and I was hoping to get to the six-dive record but that was a lot higher than my score was at the end of last year. I got a lot of new dives this year and had a much higher (degree of difficulty) and that really helped me get (both) records (253.40 and 347.75).”
Harrity has also done her share of recruiting for the Eagles, urging some friends to come out for the team, including one of her closest friends from her gymnastics days.
“I like our team because it’s small and we get pretty close throughout the year,” Harrity said.
The senior is considering West Virginia and Widener as two of her top college choices. Diving on the next level is a possibility.
Asked what impresses him the most about Norristown’s new record holder, Stem said “just her ability to compete. She’ll do dives well in practice, but when she goes into a meet, she brings her best with every single dive.
“Especially if there’s somebody else on the other side of the pool that she’s going up against,” the coach said, “then she turns it on and strives to really beat that other person. It’s probably her ability to compete that really stands out the most.”
