Solon Comets’ junior Dominic Roberto acknowledged he did not know what to expect when he began his high school diving career in the 2020-21 season.
Three years later, Roberto made state history after being crowned the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division I state diving champion, scoring 600.40 points on Feb. 21 at Canton McKinley’s C.T. Branin Natatorium.
He became just the third diver in the State of Ohio to record a three-peat, following in the footsteps of his former American Flyers Diving club teammate Lyle Yost, who set that mark from 2017-2019.
“It means a lot to be standing up here with only two other divers in the State of Ohio who have ever done it and one of them being Lyle,” Roberto said. “It was just an honor to accomplish some of the things he has accomplished. Ever since I was younger I have looked up to him and Lyle has been a pretty big key role in my success because honestly I do not think I would be here without him.”
The Solon junior had significant momentum entering his third consecutive Division I state meet, eclipsing Yost’s record at the Northeast Division I district meet on Feb. 16.
Roberto said he made no changes to his diving sheet, other than from adding a 3½ somersault, tuck dive with a degree of difficulty in the second round.
His five voluntary dives totaled a degree of difficulty of 9.0, the maximum allowed but his optional dives all exceeded degrees of difficulties of 3.0, with his ninth dive being an inward 2½ somersault, tuck dive with a degree of difficulty of 3.1.
“I remember my freshman year that I did not have a backwards 2½ somersault, tuck and I do not even think I did an inward 2½ somersault tuck and the same thing sophomore year.” Roberto said. “I did not have a forward 3½ tuck either so I am definitely getting stronger in the degree of difficulty.”
Roberto sat in 11th place after the first round but climbed up the standings in each round before taking over first place after the fifth round, scoring 66.30 points on a reverse 1½ somersault, reverse 1½ twist, free dive with a degree of difficulty of 2.6.
“I would say that was the momentum-changer,” he said. “A lot of kids say that they put their higher degree of difficulty dives first. For me, if I can be 10 to 20 points behind or 1 point ahead at the end of that fifth round, in my head I know I have something going from here.”
It was the earliest point in any state meet that Roberto had risen to first place and he never relinquished his lead, averaging 58.09 points on his final six dives.
According to Roberto, he was most satisfied with his reverse 2½ somersault, tuck dive with a degree of difficulty of 3.0 in the seventh round.
“As an overall meet it was a pretty consistent meet, I do not feel like I crushed anything but if there was one dive I crushed it was a reverse 2½ tuck,” he said. “For me, that was where it was like okay I just have to keep my head together because I have a solid lead.”
Roberto kept widening the gap and finished 47.95 points ahead of the runner-up junior Hamish Patel from New Albany, surpassing his previous record at a state meet by 60.60 points.
“For me personally, that gives me a lot of reassurance and shows that I have improved a lot as a diver but at the same time I am super excited because there is still a lot of work to be done and in terms of not only developing myself as a diver but in terms of developing my character,” he said.
Roberto said that his junior year was the most mentally and physically challenging high school diving season he had experienced in his Comets’ career because of the extra work he put into visualizing his dives.
He added that visualization was not an element he had strongly considered before but when he struggled to consistently hit his dives, it was time for a change.
“I would think it was more okay you are actually physically seeing yourself do the dive but that is not what it is at all,” he said. “You are dialing in on one feeling of the dive. For me, it is usually how I hit the water and that has helped with my consistency.”
Roberto has already etched his name in the school record books, but will aim for glory when he attempts to become the first four-time state diving champion in the State of Ohio next year.
“I am presented with an opportunity that no other diver in the State of Ohio has been presented with before,” he said. “It is just going to be about staying focused and being here for other people. I am not really too concerned about the winning part. I think everything will fall into place but now for me what is more important is that I will be a senior and it is time to step up and be a bigger role model for not only the divers on the team but for some of the swimmers on the team.”
Roberto has also decided to further his diving career at the collegiate level, having verbally committed to dive for The Ohio State University, the same school where his former teammate Yost is competing.
Next year, Roberto will not only be chasing the elusive fourth diving title but will be competing alongside the same three divers who dove with him this season.
“I think it is going to be a special season,” he said. “I am really excited to spend it with my teammates. There are opportunities for success and I am really excited for those opportunities. I have not come this far at this point to get three state titles and just give up. I am going to give it my all and whatever happens will happ
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