Local divers shining for Grizzlies

<p><strong>T</strong>he years that Ty Hoffman has spent developing diving talent in and around Johnson County are now paying big dividends at Franklin College.</p><p>Two of the coach’s longtime protégés, Gauge Creech and Faith Jackson, as well as fellow local product Collin Barton, have helped establish the Grizzlies as a rising force in the sport.</p><p>Between the three freshmen — all of whom have already qualified for the NCAA regional later this month — Franklin College has swept the diving events at all of its dual meets this season and is heavily favored to do the same at this weekend’s HCAC Championships in Terre Haute.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery<p>Creech is currently ranked eighth nationally among NCAA Division III men on the 1-meter board and 10th on the 3-meter. Barton (20th 1-meter, 16th 3-meter) isn’t far behind, and Jackson is among the nation’s top 25 women on the 1-meter.</p><p>This winter has provided some welcome continuity for the three local divers, who got to know one another while competing at the high school level. Barton, the first to commit to the Grizzlies, is a Whiteland graduate; Jackson and Creech won Johnson County championships a year ago for Greenwood and Franklin, respectively.</p><p>“I grew up with the both of them, so it’s been really nice to be with people that I know will push me and are good for me,” Barton said.</p><p>Creech, who finished in the state’s top 10 three times in high school, welcomes the day-to-day nudge that Barton gives him.</p><p>“Competing against Collin pushes me,” he said. “I like having someone that’s a teammate that is close and equal in skill so we can get that push back off each other, because that’s just going to increase scores, and it has so far.”</p><p>Jackson added that Hoffman “has been my rock” as she’s made the transition to college life in general.</p><p>In the pool, the transition has been pretty smooth for all of them. Jackson finished first on the 1-meter in all 10 of the Grizzlies’ dual meets, and Creech’s only setback all season came when he was edged by Barton on the 1-meter against Rose-Hulman last month.</p><p>The biggest adjustment in going from high school to college has been the 3-meter board, which the three freshmen had gotten a taste of as club divers but never competed on at school.</p><p>For Jackson, it’s been a challenge.</p><p>“I am terrified of 3-meter, and it’s been a mental game more than a physical game,” she said. “Getting up there and telling yourself to do it is what’s really difficult.”</p><p>Creech, on the other hand, has leaned into the new challenge. He got off to a late start with it — a fractured scaphoid bone in his left wrist just below the thumb kept him off of the higher board until the holidays — but he learned five or six new dives in three weeks of practice and won his debut at the Hudsonville Quad meet in mid-January.</p><p>“It’s my new favorite,” Creech said. “I like 3-meter much more than 1-meter now, just because it’s bigger dives, more time and a new challenge. The 1-meter … there’s only so far you can go; 3-meter opens up a whole new plane for me, and that uncomfortability makes me really happy.</p><p>“I’m a big fan of heights, so I’m not as nervous to try things off of it.”</p><p>After the HCAC meet this weekend, the next stop for Barton, Creech and Jackson will be the Division III diving regional in Granville, Ohio two weeks from now. Although advancing to the national meet is a realistic goal for all three, they’re trying to temper their expectations going into their first collegiate postseason.</p><p>“I would love to qualify for nationals right off the bat and experience that so young,” Jackson said, “but I don’t want to put that much pressure on myself because I am a really driven person anyway. I want to go into regionals and just get a feel for it. … Whatever happens, happens.”</p><p>“As long as I know I went out there and tried,” Barton agreed, “I’ll be pretty happy.”</p>[sc:pullout-title pullout-title="If you go" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p><p><strong>HCAC Swimming &amp;amp; Diving Championships</strong></p><p><p><strong>At Vigo County Aquatic Center, Terre Haute</strong></p><p><strong>Today</strong></p><p>Preliminaries, 10 a.m. (500 freestyle, 200 IM, 50 freestyle, 3-meter diving)</p><p>Finals, 6 p.m.</p><p><strong>Friday</strong></p><p>Preliminaries, 10 a.m. (400 IM, 100 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke, women’s 1-meter diving)</p><p>Finals, 6 p.m.</p><p><strong>Saturday</strong></p><p>Preliminaries, 10 a.m. (200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, 1650 freestyle, men’s 1-meter diving)</p><p>Finals, 5 p.m.</p>[sc:pullout-text-end]