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KEVIN GUTTING

Northampton senior Joel Bierwert makes his third dive at the Western Massachusetts Diving Championships on Friday at Springfield College. Bierwert won the title, his second in three years.

SPRINGFIELD - Springfield College's Art Linkletter Natatorium became a second home for Northampton's Joel Bierwert this past summer. The senior spent close to 4½ hours per week on the pool's diving board, all in hopes of regaining his western Massachusetts 1-meter diving championship after coming up short last year in his title defense.

On Friday night Bierwert easily gained sweet redemption, returning to Springfield College and taking home the title with a score of 485.15. The Blue Devil finished ahead of Longmeadow's Killian Hennessey (359.35) and Minnechaug's Anthony Yacovone (333.10).

"To be able to be on top and once again be champion is a great feeling," Bierwert said. "It's really cool experience. It's a great group of guys who are competitive and very fun to be around."

"It feels fantastic," added the senior. Longmeadow's "Micah (Rembrandt) last year came from Ohio (and won). I really wanted that repeat, but he was a lot better than me. He showed me that I can be that much better and improve."

Bierwert displayed great poise and improvement on the region's biggest stage by improving his score by 93.05 points compared to last year (392.1).

Northampton diving coach Lou Ann Bierwert, Joel's mother, believed Rembrandt gave Bierwert increased motivation this season.

"Micah gave him a visual of what he could do. It was something attainable he could get," said the seventh-year coach. "It gave him such a great thing to try and achieve. He really grabbed on to that and did a good job with that this year."

The senior said it was nice to compete at Springfield College again after training so much on the same board over the summer.

"It was pretty cool because it was already a very familiar board to me," Joel Bierwert said. "I felt very comfortable coming into it and I knew Killian (Hennessey) had a really good chance at beating me. I came in confident, but was also hesitant because he is such a great competitor."

Springfield College diving coach Pete Avdoulos, who helped train Bierwert through his Springfield Area Diving Club over the summer, was in attendance as his daughter Melanie, a senior at East Longmeadow, took home the girls 1-meter diving title.

"The work (Bierwert) did in the offseason is showing up now. His fundamentals have gotten so much better," Avdoulos said. "He's been working really hard on being more consistent on the diving board and getting rid of extra movements. He's a lot cleaner now."

Over the summer, Avdoulos was impressed with the senior's ability to remain focused despite failing to win a championship last year. Lou Ann Bierwert said Avdoulos was instrumental in her son's improvement this year.

"It was everything," she said. "It kept him in shape and it helped him continue to go for the harder and harder dives."

Avdoulos talked frequently with Joel Bierwert about regaining the Western Mass. title.

He was "knocked off his pedestal a little bit last year; but to get through there and keep his chin up and know his time would come is great," Avdoulos said. "He's back and this was his meet."

Joel Bierwert got off to a quick start through the meet's first 11 dives, opening up a 50-point lead with a 328.05.

Teammate Elias Miller finished seventh (286.25) and Lou Ann Bierwert was quick to praise her Blue Devil divers.

"They were good mentally and physically today," she said. "It meant everything. We really pulled together and we're so consistent, which I felt really good about."

Joel Bierwert is hoping to improve upon his fourth-place finish at last year's state Division 2 championships. This year's meet is Feb. 18 at Harvard University.

"In states I'm hoping to do my best. I'll hopefully get second," he said. "There are so many great competitors out there, so many people that come out of no where. You just have to dive your meet, stay consistent and see what happens."

Before the state meet though, Bierwert will be focused on the boys 50-yard freestyle, where he is seeded fifth during the swimming portion of the Western Massachusetts championships Sunday at Springfield College. The points accumulated by Bierwert and the other divers Friday will be added to Sunday's team score.

"I'm hoping to at least podium," Bierwert said. "That's my goal at least, so will see what happens.

Crescitelli fifth

Despite a shoulder injury suffered Thursday, Northampton sophomore Abbie Crescitelli placed fifth with a score of 354.75 in the girls 1-meter diving championship.

"She hung in there, stayed in the moment, did her dives and got it done," Lou Ann Bierwert said.

Classmate Katie Helly finished ninth (309.90), Easthampton's Marina LaCharite placed 13th (272.95) and Amherst's Jovanna Robinson-Hidas finished 17th (188.30).