Freedom senior Sarah Gill won the PIAA State Class 3A diving bronze medal at the PIAA State Diving Championships on Saturday at Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg.

“I feel really good,” said Gill the following day. “Definitely, yesterday did not feel real.”

Gill has played a waiting game on her road to states for almost two years.

“Sarah’s trips to states have been cut short because of Parkland divers, and of course we always knew they had a strong program,” said Coach Emily Kocis.

Expecting that 2021 would be Gill’s year, getting to states was never a guarantee, not knowing whether there would be a winter sports season at all, having Freedom’s season cut short because of a Bethlehem Area School District ordered suspension of sports, missing the first East Penn Conference diving meet because of COVID-19 cases at Freedom, and wondering whether the state meet would have to be canceled like last year’s.

“I’m glad it happened,” Gill said.

One of Gill’s best dives on Saturday was her front 1 1/2 with a full twist.

“It was my fifth dive and one of my best hurdles of the competition. Right after districts, I changed my hurdles, but [on Saturday] I lined it up just right,” she said.

Gill also did very well on her back twist.

“It’s usually one of my best ones. It’s just so consistent, no matter what kind of board I’m on,” said Gill.

Throughout the meet, Coach Kocis reminded Gill to take her time, get to the end of the board, and to not go crooked.

“Sarah does very difficult twisting dives, and she nailed all but one. Other coaches commented on how beautiful her basic dives are,” said Kocis. “I was very proud of Sarah’s front 2 1/2 somersault because she was able to get it in the water with one of the best entries I’ve ever seen.”

Gill’s overall score was 350.10.

North Allegheny’s Christina Shi was the gold medalist with a score of 457.50, and Northeastern’s Abby O’Leary won the silver medal with a score of 425.85.

Other finishers in Class 3A were Central Bucks South’s Alexandra Charlton, fourth place with a score of 344.45, West Scranton’s Victoria Watkins, fifth place with a score of 330.05, McDowell’s Kalli Knott, sixth place with a score of 313.25, and Williamsport Area’s Adelia Engel, seventh place with a score of 247.95.