What has started as a dream for an Ohio senior is slowly becoming a reality. On Thursday, February 25, 2016, Cameron Thatcher of Olentangy Liberty High School (Powell, Ohio) cruised to his second Ohio High School Athletic Association Division I boys’ diving championship.
Competing at the C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton, Thatcher was aiming to break his own record, set in 2015 when he finished with a 630.90 final score. On his 11th and final attempt on Thursday, he scored a 64.50, which pushed his 2016 championship score to 633.80. His runner-up, Lyle Yost of Shaker Heights High School (Shaker Heights, Ohio) finished with a total of 527.55.
Not only did he up the ante on the state record, his score also set a new record for performance at the Branin Natatorium. But, more importantly, he opened the door to other dreams that have been circulating throughout his own mind, as well as residents of the city.
Thatcher’s diving expertise has earned him a spot at the USA Olympic Diving trials in June, which will take place in Indianapolis, Indiana. His goal is to gather enough experience over the next four years to secure a spot in the 2020 Olympics.
Upon graduating high school, Thatcher will take his diving talents to Stanford, California, and Stanford University, where he will join the Cardinal diving team. The Stanford program has already made their name in the diving circuit; former Cardinal diver Kristian Ipsen took home silver medals in the Pan American Games in Guadalajara in 2011 and the 2009 World Championships in Rome, as well as a bronze medal in the 2012 Olympics in London.
In the Game/Web Content
Cameron Thatcher
Olentangy Liberty High School
Powell, Ohio
Ohio Senior Eyeing Olympic Gold
By James Washington
Photo courtesy of The Delaware Gazette
