Feb 25, 2018 2 min read

The springboard to her success was having fun – and fooling around a bit – on the diving board at Pine Cove Beach Club during the spring and summer.

Do not forget about the many hours spent in Falcons Gymnastics in Belle Vernon. Anna Vogt will not.

All the hours of fun and work came together with two-plus years of practice, frustration and hope Friday afternoon and evening at South Park High School to lift Vogt, a Ringgold Rams’ junior, to a WPIAL Class AA girls diving championship.

The view from the board and underneath the water is pretty good for Vogt now.

“It feels good,” she laughed. “The thing is, this time I was seeded second. There was a lot more pressure.”

Vogt placed second last season to gain a silver medal.

After just starting the sport in January 2016, she has progressed from just another high school diver to District 7 champion and a force in a sport she has grown to prefer much more than gymnastics.

“Honestly, I just did what I am capable of doing,” said Vogt, 16. “I felt I could win it and be on top.

“I like diving, much more than gymnastics. In diving, it doesn’t hurt my body like gymnastics does. I get sore in conditioning for diving. But my joints don’t hurt like they do in gymnastics.”

Vogt said a lifeguard at Pine Cove encouraged her to go out for diving in high school after watching her propel off the pool’s diving board.

“It’s not a spring board, either,” she added. “I figured to give it a try.”

Vogt was involved in gymnastics from an early age. She remains a gymnast but is down to one practice a week and only competes in about three events as her interest and success in diving increases.

“I knew I had some ability,” she said. “My coaches and teammates are encouraging and they kept telling me I have the talent to be successful and win championships.”

Vogt has used her gymnastics background and knowledge to her advantage in diving.

“The similarities are clear,” she said. “When I looked at dive videos and thought about the movements, it is similar.”