One could call Bethlehem Catholic’s Anna Petke a two-time champion after becoming the PIAA Class 2A state diving champ as well as the first student-athlete in Becahi history to achieve a diving crown, making her Bethlehem Press’s female athlete of the year from Bethlehem Catholic.

Petke clinched her state gold medal on March 15 at Bucknell University outscoring 15 competitors with a total of 242.50 points.

“I was shocked,” said Petke after the state meet. “I was very nervous, but also so excited, and I was very prepared.”

Whether or not she knew it at the time, Petke was also prepared to win top honors, having become District XI’s gold medalist in February as well as the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference champ in January.

In addition, Petke did it without a team; in fact, most of Petke’s classmates had been unaware of all of her accomplishments this past winter.

“Going to school and seeing people’s faces, and hearing them say congratulations, I’m super proud,” she said.

Those who were aware included Liberty diving coach Emily Kocis and the Hurricane divers because Kocis also coached Petke, who “competed” during Liberty’s dual meets.

“It was very exciting,” said Coach Kocis, regarding states. “Anna took the lead after the second dive, added to her lead after the third, and carried the lead, but it started to get smaller, and it came down to the last dive.”

Petke’s best dive at states was her inward one-and-a-half tuck that scored 50 points. A back dive pike, front double tuck, reverse dive pike, front full one-and-a-half, and back twisting one-and-a-half, completed her series.

“I could not have done it without Emily and Keller (Pooley),” said Petke, referring to her coach and a Liberty diver.

For as close at the state diving meet was, there was no contest in Petke’s capture of the District XI Class 2A diving crown, leading her 10 competitors by a minimum of 64 points and by as much as 112 points at the end of the six-dive meet on Feb. 25 at Emmaus High School.

“My goal was to do well on each one of my dives,” Petke said. “My back dive and my inward one-and-a-half were probably my best dives. They were very smooth, they came off the board very well, and I just put them in really nicely.”

Diving coach Emily Kocis agreed with Petke’s assessment of her best dives.

“We don’t really see too much of the 2A competition, so like Anna said, we’re just making sure that Anna’s dives are the best that Anna can do, not worrying about anybody else,” Kocis said.

Petke’s first major championship of 2023 was earning the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference diving crown on Feb. 11 at Parkland High School.

Petke led in scoring for the entire six-dive meet and ended with a total of 254.10 points.

“Her front twist was one of her best dives of the meet,” said Kocis. “She’s been working very hard on that dive, as far as controlling it, not whipping it around, and really cleaning up the entry, and I think it finally clicked.”

Petke plans to enter the University of Rhode Island this fall and will dive with the Rams under diving coach Christo Law.