West Islip’s Patrick Carter wins state diving championship
West Islip's Patrick Carter, front, is congratulated by Huntington-Harborfields' Brett Hebert after finding out he took first place during the NYSPHSAA 2016 Swimming & Diving Championships held at Erie Community College in Buffalo, N.Y. on Friday, March 4, 2016. Carter placed first with a score of 528.40. Credit: Adrian Kraus
BUFFALO — Patrick Carter’s first chicken wing in Buffalo will be drenched with victory.
When Carter went out for dinner the night before the state boys swimming championships preliminary meet and diving championship, he was tempted to order the famous chicken wings. But he waited.
“I stayed away from the Buffalo wings,” said Carter, West Islip’s standout diver. “It was the first time I’ve been up here and I really wanted them so badly but I was saying to myself ‘I have the competition tomorrow, let’s wait it out.’ ”
Looks like good things do come to those who wait as Carter won the diving championship at Erie Community College on Friday. He’s Long Island’s first diving champion since Long Beach’s Chris Griffin in 2003.
“It’s so hard to put into words but it just feels so great,” Carter said. “The best thing in the world. With everything I’ve worked for, this tops everything.”
Carter finished with a 528.40 score, barely edging out Brighton’s Corey Neas (526.65) and Mexico Academy’s Noah Galluzzo (526.15). Huntington-Harborfields’ Brett Hebert finished seventh with 472.55.
Carter trailed entering the final dive. But he wasn’t concerned with scores. He focused on himself.
“I kind of just sat down,” Carter said, “put my head down, closed my eyes and said, ‘This is my last dive, go out there and get a good score on it.’ ”
Carter, a junior, placed eighth at last year’s championship meet. He remembered the feeling of being on the smallest portion of the podium. One year later, he was on top.
“It was one of the driving things behind my training,” he said. “I knew I had eighth place last year and I really wanted to improve. That was the main goal, to improve. That was it.”
Earlier in the day, Half Hollow Hills and St. Anthony’s met their high expectations in the preliminary races. Each team set a school record in relays (Hills in the 200-yard medley relay, St. Anthony’s in the 400 free relay), and Hills tied a Suffolk 200 free relay record (1 minute, 26.31 seconds).
“We knew that it was going to be close but after today’s results, I feel we are pretty confident on how we will do tomorrow,” said Hills swimmer Dylan Chan. “I think it’s very calming to us to know we are kind of in the driver seat.”
Led by St. Anthony’s eight swimmers, Long Island has 17 swimmers competing in multiple individual races.
One of those 17, Sewanhaka senior Dylan Van Manen said, “It’s my last year so I’m looking to go out with a bang . . . Leave it all in the pool, check out and have them all remember you for something good.”
Sunday’s swimming championships begin 10:30 a.m.
