GoDuke Weekly l www.GoDuke.com/gdw By AJ Carr


Amid the recent texting, twittering and talking somebody noted that a “Duke Diving Dynasty” might be surfacing.


Perhaps it is. In different venues and at different times, Nick


McCrory won his second straight national platform championship with another record-smashing perfor- mance and Abby Johnston claimed her first NCAA crown in the 3-meter event. And these champs aren’t through. McCrory, a precocious sophomore from Chapel Hill, has two more years to build on his his glowing resume. John- ston, a junior from Upper Arlington, Ohio, has an- other season to make big waves. Complacency isn’t likely to be an issue for


either. They are smart, skilled and driven -- in the water and in the classroom. Both are pre-med ma- jors and honor students with grade point averages above 3.0.


Feature of the Week Divers Make a Splash: Johnston & McCrory Capture National Titles “They are trying to achieve at the highest lev-


el,’’ said diving coach Drew Johansen. “Both want to be the best divers in the world. They feed off each other. Both are passionate. They want it all (athleti- cally and academically). “We are very close, good training partners,’’ added McCrory. “We push each other.”


STERLING SEQUEL As defending champion, McCrory said he felt


more pressure this year at the NCAA meet in Min- neapolis than he did last season. His training also had been limited due to a shoulder injury. But when the competition began, his ability,


ambition and adrenaline eradicated any apprehen- sion.


On his first plunge -- a dazzling 4 1/2 tuck he dubs “my marathon dive” -- McCrory recorded a stunning 101.75 score that thrust him into a comfort- able lead and boosted his confidence. Then he bookended his performance with a


signature 2 1/2 pike, 2 1/2 twist that netted another 100-plus score. In the end, he had totaled 548.90 points, breaking his freshman record of 530.45. “I felt a little uneasy because I hadn’t had all


the training I wanted,’’ McCrory said. “But once it started, I tried to relax, focus on the dives.” McCrory, who listened to music between his turns on the platform, worked sedulously since last year to master more difficult dives. Turns out, he made them look easy, left competitors floundering in his wake, and produced a sterling sequel to an undefeated season. In addition to winning the nationals, he cap-


tured two ACC crowns and was named conference Diver of the Year. While awash in success, McCrory praised his


mentor, Johansen. “He’s a phenomenal diving coach,’’ McCrory


said. “He’s very good with the details that make dives click, explains it in a way I understand, helps me visualize what I need to be doing. We work really well together.”


SEIZING THE MOMENT A week before McCrory made his splash in


Minneapolis, Johnston reached the 3-meter pin- nacle in Austin, Texas. She forged ahead with a precise, eye-catching


first dive and never trailed, yet was among the last to realize her championship achievement. That’s be- cause she doesn’t look at the results during compe- tition.


It wasn’t until after her final dive that Johnston


checked the scoreboard and re-checked it to see if she was reading it correctly. “It was when Drew gave me a hug I knew it was


real,” she said. It was real -- a 409.35 first-place total -- and


a quantum rise from that No. 15 nose-dive finish a year ago in the 3-meter.


“Last year I was nervous...this year I let it all


loose in the final rounds,’’ said Johnston, who re- laxes listening to Taylor Swift tunes between rounds. “I knew I had a good day.” Originally a gymnast who turned to diving at age 13, Johnston prudently conserved energy dur- ing a fifth-place finish in the preliminary rounds. Then she unleashed it all in the finals, when it mat- tered most, and seized the moment. “She did the same five dives as last year,’’ Jo- hansen said. “Throughout the summer she compet- ed internationally, worked hard in the off season. It was about consistency, being able to perform in the specific moment. She learned how to do that and do it very well.”


Contributors Johansen first coached Johnston in Ohio, help-


ing guide her to four national junior titles, three in synchronized events. When he became diving coach at Duke, John- ston followed, moving to Durham and completing her senior year in high school online. “He’s an amazing coach,’’ Johnston said. “He


believes in me and will go to any length to help ac- complish the goals you set.” Diving is demanding, sometimes grueling. Six-


thirty a.m. practices and back on the boards in the afternoon was a regular regimen.


But Johnston, vivacious, versatile and aspiring


to become an orthopedic surgeon, is able to suc- cessfully mix school, sport and a social life. She’s in a sorority, likes to bask on the beach when time permitted, and enjoys watching reality TV shows. Both she and McCrory also recently experi-


enced some of the campus celebrity status Duke’s basketball players experience with regularity. After winning


the national title, Johnston’s


phone immediately lit up with about 45 text messag- es. Upon returning to Duke from Austin, classmates and professors showered her with congratulatory comments.


McCrory got a similar champion’s reception. “It was really cool,’’ he said of the response. It could continue to be “cool” for both McCrory


and Johnton, champions who seem intent on build- ing a “Duke Diving Dynasty.”


GoDuke Weekly The official online magazine of Duke Athletics


Managing Editors


Jon Jackson Matt Plizga


Michael Tomko


Ben Blevins, Lindy Brown Art Chase, Chris Cook,


Ned McGraw, Kristina Morrison Meredith Rieder, Ashley Wolf


Staff Writers A.J. Carr


Al Featherston Barry Jacobs Jim Sumner


Digital Publishing YUDU


Letters to the editor and general feedback: letters@duaa.duke.edu


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