Jericho's Tristan Yang wins third straight Nassau 1-meter diving title

When Tristan Yang steps on the diving board, he has one thought in mind: execute.

The Jericho junior executed on 11 straight dives and took home his third-consecutive Nassau 1-meter diving title after scoring 583.05 points at the Nassau Aquatic Center on Wednesday night. Even though it’s his third, Yang’s just as excited to win as he was the first time around.

“It's still exciting,” Yang said. “Especially because it was so close and I was able to come back.”

Yang trailed Garden City’s Julien Crampe by just 12 points following the first five dives. But, he was able to keep his composure and take the lead.

“I’m most proud of my reverse two-and-a-half dive,” Yang said. “That’s the one that brought me back.”

Yang will head to Ithaca in March to compete at the state level. But, he’s not a stranger to competing among the best in the state; this will be his fourth state appearance. Last season, he finished runner-up in public schools (500.55) and third in the Federation. This time around, he’s looking to prove that he’s the best of the best.

“I think the last few years, I’ve doubted myself,” Yang said. “The last year I’ve really been working on my mental, most of the time, it’s not my technique that’s a problem. I think I’ll be able to get a state championship and be proud in the end.”

Yang’s coach D.J. Volosevich says the best part is that he still has one more year to go.

“The dive list he has now is already comparable to Division I divers, which having that at this age is already immaculate,” Volosevich said. “If he cleans up a little bit more and gains that mental readiness, the world is the limit.”

It was Garden City junior Julien Crampe’s first time competing in the Nassau 1-meter diving championships. And he took second place. He finished with 571.65 points.

Crampe’s new to the diving world as a whole, he started just two years ago after switching away from soccer and baseball because he “needed to flip.” His background in gymnastics helped him adapt quickly to the sport.

“Almost two years ago on the dot is when I started diving,” Crampe said. “Finishing second today, I’m really happy with myself.”

He’s committed to dive for Army at West Point.

Crampe took first place at the Division A championships on Jan. 28, qualifying for the state meet with a 568.35.

“Everything is a first for me this year,” Crampe said. “I'm really excited to compete at the state championship.”

On his final attempt, Herricks senior Andrew Simons stepped onto the diving board, just 27 points away from earning a spot on the bus to Ithaca.

“I was so nervous because I was so close to the state cut which is 450,” Simons said. “My coach told me to pretend like it was practice.”

When he arose from the water, he heard a roar from the crowd and knew that he had made it. He finished with a final score of 480.

“I heard everyone cheering and then I looked at the board and saw the numbers change,” he said. “I immediately started smiling.”

Simons has the opportunity to compete at the state championship in both swimming and diving this year.

"I returned to diving less than a year ago," Simons said. "So to be able to compete as a swimmer and diver, it's mind-blowing."