Parkland Diving Trio Seeks Sweep of Districts, States

Banners touting state swimming and diving championships – both at the individual and team levels – adorn the walls of the Parkland High School natatorium.

This season, if last weekend’s Lehigh Valley Conference Diving Championships were any indication, any of three Trojan divers has an excellent opportunity to have a banner with their name on the same wall.

Seniors Greg Kemper and Mark Idleman, along with sophomore Jacob Lenhart, swept the first, second and third positions at the Feb. 12 LVC championships.

The competition between the teammates was so close that the 11-dive meet came down to the final event. Kemper, in his final dive, was able to garner enough points to edge Idleman for the gold medal, while Lenhart took home the bronze.

The result was no surprise to Parkland diving coach Cary Lehman, now in his 10th season coaching Trojan divers.

“This year, it’s been that way. They’ve been very consistent,” Lehman said. “We had a meet about a month ago that we got about the same results. The two seniors have been diving together for a long time and Jacob has been creeping up on them all year.”

An 11-dive meet requires participants to execute a number of different dives, including front dives, back dives, reverse dives, inward dives and twisting dives. Each dive is scored on performance and degree of difficulty.

Both Kemper and Idleman were within mere points of each other last Saturday and finished concluded the meet with an inward twist drive.

“That’s the highest degree of difficulty and my highest scoring dive,” Kemper said. “I didn’t nail it, but it was enough to get by.”

Idleman admitted he “messed up,” his final dive, but was happy that three Parkland divers were on the medal stand at meet’s end.

“It feels good. We were in the top four in the District last year and we want the same to happen in the Districts this year.”

Lenhart, a sophomore, said he was pleased with his performance in the LVC meet and looks forward to the District 11 and PIAA tournaments.

All three began jumping off diving boards at tender ages. Lenhart said he’s been diving since he was a little and started taking lessons at the Parkland Aquatic Club.

Idleman starting diving at Westwood Heights Swim Club during summer breaks for about five years before joining the Parkland Aquatic Club.

Kemper spent his formative diving years at the Parkland Aquatic Club before joining the high school squad.

Diving practice, as with everything else in this digital age, is a high-tech operation.

Lehman prepares for daily practice by hooking up a video camera to a television set that’s hooked up to a TiVo unit.

The boys dive, come right out of the water, and watch a replay where Lehman can point out ways for them to correct flaws and improve.

The District 11 diving meet is scheduled next Saturday, Feb. 26 at Emmaus High School and Lehman is hoping for a similar outcome – no matter who prevails.

“With our seniors, it depends on which of the two has a better day on that particular day. Either of them can win it. And Jacob’s been gaining on them all year, so he’d be no surprise.”

The PIAA boys and girls swimming and diving championships – which is always the ultimate Parkland goal – take place March 16-19 at Bucknell University.