‘Focused’: Marysville’s Stamm motivated for final run at state diving title
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
By Scott Gerfen
sgerfen@cbussports.com
Marysville’s Sophia Stamm at practice earlier this month at Ohio State University. Photo: John Hulkenberg
The drama that played out at last season’s Division I state diving meet never rattled Sophia Stamm, but it has served a purpose.
Competing at the Division I level for the first time for Marysville, Stamm alternated first and second place over the final four rounds with Cincinnati Walnut Hills’ Elleka Boeres, who’s now competing at Illinois.
At one point, Stamm had as much as an 11-point lead before Boeres collected 47 points on her ninth dive and went on to win the title. Stamm finished just 0.9 points behind with 440.7 points.
Last year’s narrow defeat has only motivated Stamm, now a senior, as she prepares for and expects another trip to C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton for the state meet Feb. 21.
“I definitely have more confidence this year than I did last year because last year was my first year competing in Division I,” Stamm said.
As a sophomore and freshman at Buckeye Valley, she placed fifth and eighth, respectively, while diving in the Division II state meet.
“I definitely like how clean my dives are right now,” said Stamm, who signed with Akron in November. “I’ve really worked hard on perfecting them and being more confident on the ones that I wasn’t so sure about last year.”
Marysville’s Sophia Stamm at practice earlier this month at Ohio State University. Photo: John Hulkenberg
Stamm’s journey to success has been marked by dedication, skill and a love for the sport at a young age. Her diving career began at just 8 years old and has been part of her life for more than a decade.
Her early interest was sparked by her mother, Sarah Adams, who also was a diver in high school at Westerville North.
Stamm’s background in gymnastics also has played a significant role in her diving career, as many skills from gymnastics translate to diving.
“She definitely had great ability, when it came to body control, that most kids don’t have,” Adams said. “But I also knew that gymnastics wasn’t something I wanted her to do long term. I just really wanted her to build those muscles and learn how to control them.”
Stamm’s first interaction with a diving board was at her grandparents’ backyard pool when the family lived just north of Atlanta.
“She tried some stuff, and I taught her a few things, and then she just loved it,” Adams said. “I tried to find her a diving club, and it just took off from there.”
Stamm’s current coach, Jen White, also coached her mother.
Marysville’s Sophia Stamm at practice earlier this month at Ohio State University. Photo: John Hulkenberg
“Sophia is a very hard worker, tough competitor and very focused,” White said. “She has overcome a lot of difficulties this past year. She competes well, with the reminder to have fun in the process.”
During her sophomore season, she suffered a back injury, and missed months of water time over the summer with a dislocated shoulder.
“It wasn’t a huge setback, but I missed out on things — dives I could have now, I don’t have them because of my injuries,” Stamm said. “Most of the dives I do are muscle memory. My shoulder was super tight, and I couldn’t get my arm past a certain point.”
With the injury behind her, Stamm is aiming for a strong finish.
She won the OCC-Cardinal Division championship for the second consecutive season on Jan. 28 with 497.20 points, finishing ahead of Olentangy’s Evelyn Fitz (444.05) and Danielle Kourie (403.30).
Stamm seeks her fourth district championships after winning in Division II as a freshman and a sophomore and in Division I last year.
The Division I district diving meet is Feb. 13 at Ohio State’s McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion.
“I need to have a very focused mental state,” Stamm said of preparing for her final postseason in high school. “I really need to just stay focused on myself and not worry about how others are diving.”
Marysville’s Sophia Stamm at practice earlier this month at Ohio State University. Photo: John Hulkenberg