Metro Conference divers take the plunge to league titles

04/15/2021

web.eva.dive_0157 — San Ysidro High School senior Eva Reyes once again proved to be the queen of Metro Conference diving at Tuesday’s championship meet. Photo by Phillip Brents

What goes up must come down due to the law of gravity. But what lies between those two points can be true artistry in motion.

Metro Conference divers gathered Tuesday at the Las Palmas pool in National City to participate in this year’s league diving championships.

Eight divers braved chilly nighttime temperatures to compete in the hour-long varsity program under the lights. Six rounds determined final place-finishes.

Meet director Dan Kovar poses with South Bay League divers of the year Gael Colmenares (Southwest HIgh School) and Eva Reyes (San Ysidro High School). Photo by Phillip Brents

There were no league finals last year due to the cancellation of the season following the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Those who were underclassmen in 2020 were able to resume their careers on the one-meter board.

San Ysidro High School senior Eva Reyes, a state meet place-finisher in 2019, earned her third consecutive South Bay League girls championship with a score of 306.1 points.

Olympian High School junior Diego Mungia won the Mesa League boys championship with 203.95 points.

Hilltop High School junior Bella Metzig captured the Mesa League girls championship with 158.2 points.

Southwest senior Gael Colemares won the South Bay League boys championship with 151.25 points.

Southwest High School’s Gael Colmenares performs a dive for artistic merit during Tuesday’s league finals. Photos by Phillip Brents

Because of ongoing COVID-19 restrictions and the lack of pool availability in the South County region, Metro Conference divers were limited to competing Wednesday nights at the National City pool under the supervision of veteran dive coach Dan Kovar.

It proved to be a unique season.

“We were basically limited to dual meets,” Kovar said. “We just rolled with it and made the best of it. The kids liked it. They got to dive with students from the other schools. The kids became closer.”

That camaraderie was apparent Tuesday night as divers from different schools cheered on their adversaries, who also proved to be teammates from their own little group.

Eva Reyes, San Ysidro High School, three-time South Bay League champion. Photo by Phillip Brents

San Ysidro’s Eva Reyes looked to have fun off the board while diving to her third consecutive South Bay League championship title. Photos by Phillip Brents

Reyes, who is headed to compete next season at Illinois State University on a full-ride scholarship, won the 2019 league dive championship with 282.10 points. Tuesday’s point total was her second highest this season after recording a score of 309.7 in the final week of regular season competition.

She could be peaking at the right time if the section finals are reinstated. She finished runner-up at the Division I CIF finals as a sophomore.

But she was beaming nonetheless Tuesday night.

“The plan was four-for-four (league titles) but that couldn’t happen because of COVID, so that changed to three-for-three,” she said. “Actually, it was hard getting back in the water after a year off, but it was fun with all the nice people I met. I’m glad I came back.”

Olympian’s Diego Mungia, this year’s Mesa League champion, represented the Metro Conference at tge 2019 CIF championship meet. Photos by Phillip Brents

Olympian’s Diego Mungia executes a somersault. Photo by Phillip Brents

Mungia’s top mark on the season is 223 points. He said he would like to go higher than that.

“It’s been a blast,” he said in regard to this season. “It’s been a lot of fun. I got to hang out with the other divers who became friends. I hope to do it again next year.”

Mungia, who edged Hilltop senior Dominic Metzig by 63.40 points for this year’s league title, qualified for the section finals as a freshman as the Metro Conference’s lone representative.

“It was an accomplishment as I’d only started diving my freshman year,” he said.

Bella Metzig, who competes on the school’s cheer team and competes alongside her older brother Dominic on the diving board, topped a field that included three other divers from the Mesa League.

“Definitely, the environment was very uplifting in our group,” she said. “It feels good. It’s very rewarding.”

Dominic Metzig is a busy young man, competing in football, diving and wrestling during the Season 1 and Season 2 overlap.