3 WPIAL Class 3A boys divers earn PIAA medals

By: Michael Love
Saturday, March 15, 2025 | 5:33 PM

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LEWISBURG — All four WPIAL divers entered in Saturday afternoon’s PIAA Class 3A boys championship at Bucknell’s Kinney Natatorium were in medal contention with top-eight places heading into the final round of three dives.

WPIAL champion Ethan Maravich, a junior from North Allegheny, led the way in fourth after the semifinals (eight of 11 dives), while Upper St. Clair sophomore Carter Wells was fifth, Mt. Lebanon senior Malcolm Thompson was sixth, and Fox Chapel senior Jackson Hagler was eighth.

When the dust — or, more appropriately, the water — settled, three of the four, Maravich, Wells and Thompson, found themselves on the medals stand.

Maravich, who made his first PIAA appearance Saturday after missing a trip to states by one place (fifth) at last year’s WPIAL meet, bumped up one spot from the semifinals to finish third overall with a total of 493.70 points.

“This feels amazing,” said Maravich who scored 157.60 points over his three dives in the finals.

“I felt bad about missing it last year, but I had the motivation to do whatever I could to get here this year and compete how I competed here today.

“I looked at the board for the first time all meet (after the semifinals), and I figured out that I really needed to execute those last three dives. I focused in on them and hit them.”

Thompson, who will dive next year at Division I Fordham, said he was happy with his three dives in the finals to move up two spots and land in fourth overall with 487.55 points.

“Being here last year for the first time, it was more so about just having fun,” said Thompson, who placed eighth and reached the medals podium last year in his PIAA debut.

“But being very competitive like I am, sometimes I get in my own head. That happened a little bit last year. But this year, I wasn’t in my head. I was talking to people and trying to stay loose and comfortable while not overthinking about my dives.”

Wells, like Maravich, dove at states for the first time. He slipped one spot to sixth in the finals, but his score of 449.35 was good enough to have a medal placed around his neck.

“I was a little nervous to start, but as the meet went on, I decided to just have fun with it and do as best as I could,” Wells said.

“I saw the competition in warmups, and I was impressed. I am happy with my score and how I finished.”

Hagler, this year’s WPIAL runner-up who was third at states last year and eighth as a sophomore, scored 111.85 points in the finals but slipped one spot to ninth. He finished just 3.20 points away from a place on the medals stand.

“I feel I did my first five dives well, but I think there were some issues with how some dives were scored,” Hagler said.

“It was frustrating. But it was some things I couldn’t control. But I have a lot to look forward to. I am committed. I know where I am going. And I am happy with my (overall) high school career.”

Hagler will be back at Kinney Natatorium for the next several years as he plans to study mechanical engineering at Bucknell.

All 16 divers in the finals — including each of the four from the WPIAL — earned points to their team’s overall total.

Maravich picked up 16 points for North Allegheny, Thompson scored 15 for Mt. Lebanon, Wells tallied 13 for Upper St. Clair, and Hagler produced nine points for Fox Chapel.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Fox Chapel, Mt. lebanon, North Allegheny, Upper St. Clair