The Northampton High School diving team is having a banner year.

With an all-time high six divers rostered, the squad is regularly posting first place wins and garnering points for the team. With the names of divers Alex and Andy Szeplaki and Isabella Kish frequently filling 1st and 2nd place slots, the team is really making an impact this season. Fellow Northampton divers Allison Unangst, Sara Houck, and Samuel Hayes round out the team and post consistently strong scores.

On Saturday, Jan. 13, the diving squad traveled to Emmaus High School to participate in the East Penn Conference League Diving Invitational, where Alex Szeplaki flipped and turned his way to the 1st place medal with an overall score of 357.95.

A third-year diver, Alex’s finely polished diving skills have earned him 1st place honors again and again this season as Szeplaki has aptly moved into the lead role for this diving squad.

“It’s just really started to click this year,” said Northampton head dive coach Todd Lerch about Alex’s progress and performance so far this season. “It’s sometimes like a good puzzle; eventually, the pieces come together for a really nice picture.”

Alex’s wins are complemented by the achievements of Andy Szeplaki, whose prowess on the 1 m board frequently rivals his twin brother. The two divers are always there to push and motivate each other as they train and compete side by side.

“They’re very supportive of each other,” explains Lerch when asked about the level of competition between the two brothers. “They push each other and are always happy and proud of what the other has accomplished.”

The same could be said for the way all the members of this year’s diving squad support each other. With cheers and applause for each dive attempt, this team celebrates each diving accomplishment and obviously works together to make the entire squad better.

While diving is often a component of varsity swim meets, not every competing school that the Northampton team faces this year has a diving team or even the facilities for diving events. Despite this, the six-person Northampton diving squad has had a very strong impact on the results the Kids have achieved this year and the wins they have posted.

The Northampton diving squad will spring into action for two more competitions during this regular season before turning their focus to district diving championships. In the world of diving, there are always small tweaks and adjustments to be made, but head coach Lerch has nothing but praise to say about this squad and the efforts that they display in each practice and competition.

“I’m just so proud of each of them; no matter how they perform, I’m just always so proud of what they accomplish,” he said.