Despite how intimidating a diving board may look to some, two Bronx Science athletes make diving from the tip of the springboard, all while performing somersaults and twists, look effortless.

For Andrew Chen ’19, his passion for diving began with his parents. “I started diving when I was young because of my parents, and I continue the sport so that I can compete in college. Diving is great because I like improving myself, and it helps me keep in shape,” said Chen. Despite diving being a challenging sport, Chen has been dominating his season, competing in state, regional, and even national level meets. He recently placed seventh in the New York State Championships for Diving, which is a remarkable accomplishment. At local meets, Chen has consistently placed first or second for diving, scoring an impressive high score of 195.05 points at a meet against McKee/Staten Island Tech last year. Chen has also achieved numerous firsts in Fifty Yard Freestyle and 200 Yard Individual Medleys, providing invaluable leadership and experience to teammates around him.

“I thought that diving was an interesting sport, and I really wanted to try it out. Every time that I dive or swim, it’s a new experience for me to learn and to improve upon my past mistakes,”Jonathan Hu ’19 said.

As one of the captains of Boys’ Varsity Swimming, Jonathan Hu ’19 has been named an All-American Athlete in Springboard Diving after placing fourth at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association State Championships. During this past season, Hu placed first and second respectively at two meets, one against Stuyvesant High School, and another at Brooklyn Technical High School. With eight years of diving and swimming experience, Hu explains that it is the excitement and sheer thrill of diving into a pool while doing tricks that motivates him in the sport. “I thought that diving was an interesting sport, and I really wanted to try it out. Every time that I dive or swim, it’s a new experience for me to learn and to improve upon my past mistakes,” Hu said. “When I was preparing to dive during the State Championships, I tried to clear my mind and make sure that I was focused solely on diving.” Hu continued, “One struggle that I faced while preparing for State Championships was managing schoolwork with practice. Both take up a lot of my time and because of that, it was hard to keep up with the strenuous diving practices and challenging course assignments. ”

Both Chen and Hu continue to show dedication and determination in the sport that is inspiring for fans and students alike. Hu claims that, “No matter how difficult it became, I think it was my willingness to persevere through the difficulties that helped me to accomplish so many achievements in diving.” They are both sure to have more success in the future and to grow stronger as athletes.