Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Fort Dodge’s Delaney O’Connor attempts to dunk in the Dodger Pool earlier this season.

Delaney O’Connor thought: why not?

The St. Edmond senior, who competes for the Fort Dodge Senior High swim team, loves to challenge herself. O’Connor started diving a few years ago.

Now she’s qualified for state.

“I honestly started diving on a whim because I like trying new things. » » said O’Connor. “It was extremely difficult at first, as I have no experience in an artistic sport, but I really enjoyed the challenge of learning.”

Fast forward to his senior season in 2024, and O’Connor will be Fort Dodge’s first diving state qualifier in 26 years.

O’Connor scored 309.1 points and finished fifth in a regional competition in Waukee.

“It means a lot to me to qualify in diving” » said O’Connor. “Especially since I have limited practice due to swimming most of the week.”

The senior is the school’s first diving qualifier since Heather Lorentzen in 1998. Fort Dodge’s Jenny Twigg was a state medalist her sophomore year during senior season, 1993-95.

“This year started slowly as Ashley (Beaumont, FDSH head coach) and I were trying to figure out the best times to dive. » » said O’Connor. “I usually only dive once a week, so it was hard to get back into shape.”

O’Connor, a lifeguard at Rosedale Rapids during the summer months, is used to being around the water year-round.

“When she first said she wanted to do it, I thought it was a way of not working out,” Beaumont laughs. “But Delaney pushed and worked really hard to get there.

“I think she just wanted to do something new. She had no fear. She will go out there and do any dive.

O’Connor received help from Dr. Diane Happel, a swimming official.

“It was ultimately worth it (to try),” » said O’Connor. “I am so grateful to Coach Diane for volunteering her time and helping out during practice, and to my teammates for their support.”

The diving state preliminaries will be held Friday at 11 a.m. in Marshalltown. The finals will take place on Saturday at noon.