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State champion Moore adding to family legacy
Son of former Olympic diver is out to add a second title to his résumé
Published March 7, 2007 at midnight
It is safe to say Sean Moore is a chip off the ol' block.
The senior from Regis captured the Class 5A state diving championship last year, but landing that impressive accomplishment still left Moore a long way from repeating the diving success of his father, Tim Moore.
A diver for Ohio State three decades ago, Tim Moore was a member of the U.S. Olympic team for the 1976 games in Montreal, where he placed fifth in the 10-meter platform event.
Sean Moore added to the family's trophy collection last season and will be one of several standout divers returning to the springboard for the 2007 boys swimming season.
Cherry Creek's Hunter Helmstaedter and Grandview's Drew Brown, who finished second and third behind Moore at the 5A meet, are set to return and challenge Moore for his crown.
Conifer senior Ben Grado, the defending 4A champion and an All-Colorado selection last year, also returns.
"(My dad) takes more of a supporting role than active coaching," Moore said. "Sometimes, especially when you're younger, it's hard to listen to coaching when it's your dad.
"But when I ask him something he is a great coach and he knows a ton about diving. He's very technical and helps me a lot that way."
Moore and his brother, sophomore Kevin Moore, helped the Raiders claim their 14th state championship, and 12th in a row, by providing points in the diving competition that offset the dominant swimming performance of runner-up Arapahoe.
The Moore brothers will be key contributors for what could be the best Regis team in years, a proposition that likely is making for some sleepless nights among 5A coaches.
The top-ranked Raiders also boast junior Jay Kim, who finished second in the individual medley and third in the breaststroke, distance specialist Charlie Patch, who placed third in the 200 and 500 freestyle events, and senior Callan Hetterich.
"It's pretty strong across the board," Regis coach Mike Doherty said. "Last year was the year where we were kind of rebuilding, and they got great experience."
Moore again will follow in his father's footsteps when he joins the Ohio State team next season. Until then, he hopes to continue forging his own memorable chapter in Regis' ongoing championship saga.
"This year, the challenge is to be the best we can possibly be," Moore said. "Mr. Doherty always has us focused on other things than being worried about possibly being the group that breaks the streak of state championships. In practice, we do a good job of focusing on just being the best we can."
Mark Dylla is ready to leap off the starting block and plunge into his race toward history.
The Heritage senior has gone 6-for-6 in individual events at the past three state meets, winning the 100 butterfly and 500 freestyle last year while setting state records in each event to lead the Eagles to a fifth-place team finish.
Such lofty accomplishments typically breed even loftier expectations, and Dylla is no exception. He wants to make it 8-for-8 in individual events. Adding a few more state records and pushing Heritage up in the standings would be nice, too.
Dylla, the All-Colorado swimmer of the year the past two seasons, has signed a letter of intent with Georgia, where he will be coached by Jack Bauerle, the man tabbed by U.S.A. Swimming to lead the women’s Olympic team at the 2008 games in Beijing.
"I don’t feel by any means there’s more pressure," Dylla said. "This is it for high school. You don’t have a chance to do it again. I want to have fun with it and try not to leave anything out there because you can’t go back out there when you’re 40 or 50."
Thompson Valley’s depth took a hit from the graduation of several key contributors, but the Eagles, the top-ranked team in Class 4A, still are primed for a run at a third consecutive state championship.
Led by versatile senior Drew McCormick, Thompson Valley’s roster might not be as deep as last season, but it remains deeper than most of the competition in 4A.
"I think we just need to keep building on the momentum from the past two years," Thompson Valley coach Steve Foster said.
Cheyenne Mountain, led by seniors Alex Walpole and Chris Byrne, and Silver Creek have the best shots at dethroning the Eagles.
"Nothing is handed to you, but we would love to compete for that," Cheyenne Mountain coach Pete Nichols said. "We hope to challenge at state, but I understand Thompson Valley has a great reputation."
The demise of Golden’s program will benefit Conifer. Because Golden will not field a team this season, senior Max Smith, who finished second in the breaststroke at the 4A state meet last year, will swim for the Lobos.
Dylla is not the only two-event champion returning this season. Chris Myers, a junior from Ralston Valley, is the defending 4A champion in the 200 individual medley and 500 freestyle.
Boulder boasts only one senior but could be a top-eight candidate by the time the 5A state meet begins May 17.
CLASS 5A TOP 5
1 Regis: The Raiders’ depth remains peerless as they seek their 13th consecutivestate title and 15th overall.
2 Cherry Creek: Led by senior Matt Glenn, the Bruins likely will have the best shot at dethroning Regis.
3 Heritage: Mark Dylla has won six individual state titles and hopes to add two more to end his remarkable career.
4 Grandview: Diver Drew Brown and Austin Biefnes have the Wolves poised for another top-five finish.
5 Fort Collins: An already strong cast will be joined by several talented freshmen who could make the Lambkins one of the state’s most improved teams.
TOP RETURNEES
AthleteSchoolYear
Drew Brown Grandview Sr.
State finish: Third, diving
Tyler Bush Fort Collins Jr.
State finish: Second, 500 freestyle
Mark Dylla Heritage Sr.
State finish: First, 100 butterfly; first, 500 freestyle
Matt Glenn Cherry Creek Sr.
State finish: Third, 100 backstroke
Kyle Gordon Monarch Sr.
State finish: Third, 100 freestyle
Ian Gregoire Pine Creek Sr.
State finish: Third, 100 butterfly (4A)
Hunter Helmstaedter Cherry Creek Sr.
State finish: Second, diving
Jay Kim Regis Jr.
State finish: Second, individual medley; third, 100 breaststroke
Sean Moore Regis Sr.
State finish: First, diving
Charlie Patch Regis Sr.
State finish: Third, 200 freestyle; third, 500 freestyle
4A Flip turn
CLASS 4A TOP 5
1 Thompson Valley: The Eagles are primed for a run at a third consecutive state title.
2 Silver Creek: Senior sprinter Nick Koerner leads a junior-dominated team that placed fourth at state last season.
3 Cheyenne Mountain: Seniors Chris Byrne and Alex Walpole lead a team that should makestate a three-team race.
4 Conifer: The addition of state placer Max Smith transforms the Lobos into contenders.
5 Ralston Valley: Two-event winner Clay Myers and diver Nicholas Halbach lead an improved team.
TOP RETURNEES
AthleteSchoolYear
Chris Byrne Cheyenne Mountain Sr.
State finish: Second, 100 backstroke
Ben Grado Conifer Sr.
State finish: First, diving
Nicholas Halbach Ralston Valley Sr.
State finish: Third, diving
Nick Koerner Silver Creek Jr.
State finish: Third, 50 freestyle; third, 100 freestyle
Drew McCormick Thompson Valley Sr.
State finish: Third, 500 freestyle; third, 100 backstroke
Clay Myers Ralston Valley Jr.
State finish: First, 200 individual medley; first, 500 freestyle
Taylor Sishc Mountain View Jr.
State finish: Second, diving
Max Smith Conifer Sr.
State finish: Second, breaststroke
Alex Walpole Cheyenne Mountain Sr.
State finish: Third, 200 freestyle
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