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Nordonia's Horrigan shines in two sports Senior earns All-Ohio honors in diving, earns third berth at state gymnastics meet

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Photo courtesy of Justina Saxby. Nordonia senior Breanne Horrigan executes a backwards pike dive during the state meet Feb. 24 at CT. Branin Natatorium in Canton. Horrigan finished 16th at states with a score of 358 points.

by Michael Leonard

Sports Editor

Making the state meet in one sport means you're a solid athlete.

But what about making states in two sports?

That's what Nordonia senior Breanne Horrigan accomplished last week.

First, Horrigan earned All-Ohio honors Feb. 24 at the Division I state diving meet. Horrigan finished in 16th place at the state meet with 358.5 points. The meet took place at C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton.

Kellie Carmendy of Olentangy Liberty won the Division I state title with a score of 418.65.

Then, Horrigan switched her swimsuit for her gymnastics singlet and competed at the district gymnastics tournament at Painesville Riverside Feb. 27.

Horrigan was able to score a 8.95 on the uneven bars, earning 10th place and her third trip to states in gymnastics. The top 17 finishers on each apparatus advance to states.

Needless to say, it was a very good week for the Knights' senior.

Horrigan has only been diving competitively for 15 months, but she became the first female swimmer or diver ever to represent Nordonia at states.

Nordonia swimming coach Claudio Costanzo had nothing but praise for Horrigan.

"We were really proud of her," Costanzo said. "For someone whose only been diving for 15 months to perform at that level, that's awesome. She was diving against girls who have had years of experience. She even beat girls at that meet who had been beating her all year."

Horrigan said her first trip the state diving meet was a new experience.

"It was a different atmosphere because in gymnastics, everyone is loud and there's a lot of energy," Horrigan said. "In diving, you have to be dead silent."

"I was nervous, but when I got there, my nerves just went away," Horrigan said. "I just performed to my best abilities."

Horrigan said she had a bit of a problem on her second dive, which was a backward one-and-a-half somersault with a pike.

"She had a little slip up on her second dive," Costanzo said. "The way the competition is at that level, any slip up is going to set you back a little."

"After I messed up that dive, I knew that I had to refocus and step it up," Horrigan said. "My coach told me I just needed to beat the four girls to reach the finals. That just pushed me to do better."

Horrigan recovered to score a mark of 260.85 after nine dives, which put her in 16th place and was good enough to advance her to the finals. She just missed getting 15th place, but Lakota West's Mallory Brim finished just ahead of her with 358.5 points.

Up next for Horrigan will be her third trip to the state gymnastics meet. This year's meet will be at Hilliard Bradley High School, with the individual apparatus competition beginning March 6 at noon.

Horrigan said her goal for states in gymnastics is to place and be consistent.

"I want to make sure I'm getting the scores I'm used to getting," Horrigan said. "I normally get between 8.8 and 9.1 on the bars.

E-mail: mleonard@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3113