The Media Press, August 5, 2004

Area Divers Shine at Hidden Hollow Invitational

By Bob Denney

The hollows were alive with the sounds, sights and excitement of diving this past weekend as the Hidden Hollow Swim Club in Media hosted their 17^th Annual Diving Invitational. Over two dozen boys and girls, men and women competed in a number of different categories at the picturesque club in their spectacular diving pool. Organized by Mary Schlegel, the venerable diving coach for Hidden Hollow as well as Penncrest High School, the invitational has become an annual rite of summer for top divers throughout the Tri-State area.

 Held over two days, July 31 and August 1, on both the club’s set of diving springboards and their Olympic styled combination three, seven and ten meter platforms, one of the tallest outdoor diving towers in the region,  the competition showcased some of the area’s brightest aquatic acrobats from the past, the present and the future. With Ralph Scott, a former competitor at Hidden Hollow, serving as both announcer and colorful commentator, the annual affair had plenty of flair to complement a slew of sensational individual performances.  Rob Kuderka, Angela Bush and Dane Allison paced a strong showing by the home club with one victory each while Justin and Josh Bonner, Megan Patro and Conner Oprey led a talented contingent from the Nassau Swim Club.

 Kuderka, a three-time interscholastic state champion in Delaware who will be a senior at Salesianum this year, soared to the top spot in the Senior Boys’ Springboard competition, overcoming the Bonner twins, Josh, the 2003 and 2004 PIAA Class AAA titlist and Justin, a PA State bronze medalist in ’04.  Meanwhile, Bush bested fellow local diver Dani Japhet of the Knowlton Swim Club for first place in the Junior Girls’ Springboard contest and Allison edged Josh McGowan (Prospect Park SC) and Dominic Natale (Clifton SC ) for the gold in the Junior Boys’ Platform diving in addition to scoring a silver in the Junior Boys’ Springboard battle. Japhet topped all divers, earning four medals total in four events.

 Other winners included; Nick Natale of the Clifton Swim Club, first place, Connor Oprey, second and Darnell Holmes of Prospect Park SC, third in the Novice Platform, Japhet, the gold, Amy Hollenbeck, the silver and Jen Walker the bronze in the Junior Girls’ Platform, Kelly Quinn of Karakung Swim Club, first place, Allie Butera of Marple Newtown SC, second, Erin Fife, third and Emma Aldaya, fourth, both from Prospect Park SC, in the Girls’ Novice Springboard, Oprey, first, Holmes, second, Michael Proletto of Brookhaven SC, third, Tyler Fritsch of Hidden Hollow SC, fourth and Tyler Pachawka of Prospect Park SC, fifth, in the Boys’ Novice Springboard, Amy Hollenbeck of Prospect Park SC, third, Jen Walker of Ridley Township SC, fourth and Michelle Murphy of Ridley Park SC, fifth in the Junior Girls’ Springboard, Ken Clark of Prospect Park SC, first, McGowen, third, Chris Murphy of Ridley Park SC, fourth and Adam Entrican of Tinicum Twp SC, fifth in the Junior Boys’ Springboard,  Dani Japhet, the gold, Patro, the silver and Danielle Richey of Lansdowne SC, the bronze in the Senior Girls’ Platform, Justin Bonner, first, Josh Bonner second and Ian Jevnic of Ridley Twp SC, third in the Senior Boys’ Platform, Brett Wilmot, a former PIAA state champ and a graduate of Michigan University, the gold, Tim Beck of Ridley Twp SC and a grad of Upper Darby who had competed all 17 years at the Invitational, second and Michael Sheridan of Prospect Park, third in the Masters’ Platform, Patro, first place, Japhet, second, Richey, third and Stephanie Gray of Knowlton SC, fourth in the Senior Girls’ Springboard, Jevnic, fourth and Dan Gruber of Covered Bridge Creek SC, fifth in the Senior Boys’ Springboard.

         Kudos to the Hidden Hollow Swim Club and to Schlegel for hosting another tremendous diving affair, overcoming the incredibly wet weather and a mudslide to once again allow area divers to showcase their remarkable skills!