The Walpole High Swim Team includes a small group of athletes who don’t swim the two thousand or so yards that their teammates do, nor do they practice flip turns or do kick drills. They don’t use caps or goggles. They use “sammies” and gettagripp. They speak in numbers and letters - 104C, 5225D, 402B. They are the six Walpole’s divers: Emily Duseau, Maggie Devlin, Catie Martin, Dierdre McCarthy, Amanda Melish, and Maggie Singer. And to this point in the season, those six divers are making quite an impression on their teammates, their coaches and their opponents.
Amanda Melish is undefeated, already qualified for states, and has twice broken the school record. Dierdre McCarthy has two previous appearances in the state championship meet, is qualified for the sectional meet, and is part way to a third straight state qualification. Maggie Devlin features an inward summersault with a ½ twist. Catie Martin has built up her program of dives to include reverses and twists. Emily Duseau has nine different dives coming from all five categories, and Maggie Singer (a freshman) has a full program of dives and is threatening to move up to the number three spot among the six divers.
They came to be Walpole High School divers from many different paths - from hockey, from robotics, and from gymnastics, to mention a few. They all have nicknames: "Mandie” and “Old Maggie” and “Young Maggie,” “Die Dray” and “M” and “Kay Tee.”
But the core focus they all share is to be at their very best in “The Championship Season," the three big meets in November: the Bay State Conference Championship, the MIAA South Sectional Championships, and the MIAA State Championships.
Being a diver is a challenge. Some days they’re ripping, some days they’re slapping, and once in a while, they’re hitting. But Walpole High has a long history of success competing in MIAA Sectional and State diving championships and this is due to Coach Christopher Brady, their diving coach. Now Amanda, Dierdre, Maggie D., Maggie S., Emily, and Catie are hoping to add to that tradition as they chase the Championship Season - and to continue dominating in the dual meets until then.
