North Penn’s Hoch wins AAA gold at District 1 Boys Diving Championships

TOWAMENCIN >> With an outstanding final round of dives, nailing his inward two and a half, North Penn’s Bryce Hoch dove to district gold on Friday evening, capturing the Class AAA title at the Rick Carroll Natatorium.

“It feels great. I’ve been working hard this whole season,” Hoch said, “and I finally got two of my dives (down pat) — gainer two and a half and back two and a half and I’ve been trying to push through them really hard.”

Hoch’s score of 562.80 set a pool record and pushed him past Central Bucks South’s Nash Nickerson, who earned silver-medal honors with an impressive score of 552.40.

Through round six, Abington’s Sam Henninger led all divers with a 262.40, followed closely by Hoch, who turned it on in the final five rounds to earn the top spot.

“I didn’t really nail my gainer two and a half but my back two and a half gave me confidence,” the junior said.

Bronze-medal honors went to Henninger, who scored a 546.50, with Quakertown’s Bayne Bennett placing fourth with a 539.95.

Defending champion Ian Boland Bintner of North Penn earned fifth place and punched a return-trip ticket to states, compiling a score of 523 over the 11 rounds.

Hoch surged from a bronze-medal finish a year ago to win gold this season, with some of his main competition sharing the same boards.

“I’ve been trying to push harder and harder for the top,” Hoch said, who broke his teammate’s pool record, set earlier this month at the Suburban One League Continental Conference Championships. “I have very good teammates, like Ian Boland Bintner, who is very good, very talented.”

Also earning a trip to Bucknell were Haverford’s Will Canny, Souderton Area’s Ezekiel Flandro and Hatboro-Horsham’s Nick Zumpino.

Upper Moreland’s George Balot grabbed the gold in Class AA, earning a state spot.

“I’m hoping to get high at states, like top three this year,” said Hoch, a fifth-place medalist in 2015.

The District One Girls Diving Championships will be held Saturday morning, back at North Penn at 9 a.m.