4A Diving: Evergreen’s Carson Harrington Repeats As State Champion

THORNTON — There’s no new Class 4A diving champion this year.

At the Class 4A boys diving state championships at Veterans Memorial Aquatics Center on Thursday, Evergreen’s Carson Harrington handily won the diving competition, with a top score of 601.50.

It was his second straight diving title and his score is now the seventh-best 11-dive score all-time in state meet history.

“It’s just super exciting,” Harrington said. “It just felt really great to dive out there. Everybody is super talented this year and it just made me really happy to win it again. I think last year, I had a little bit more nerves. This time, I just came in knowing that I know my dives, I know how to compete and I was excited to compete.”

Evergreen divers have claimed the last three 4A diving titles, including Kian Smith’s 4A diving championship in 2022. Just a junior, Harrington will look to make it four straight for Evergreen and three straight for himself as a senior next season.

With his first-place finish, Harrington scored 24 points for the Cougars in the team competition. Cheyenne Mountain has won the past two 4A team titles.

Wheat Ridge senior Carson Christiansen was runner-up with a score of 374.80. Green Mountain’s Britton Hooper (533.15) was third, Evergreen’s Henry Palmquist (509.00) was fourth and Mountain View’s Tyler Tolerico (506.60) was fifth.

As voted on by the coaches, Tolerico was named CHSCA’s 4A Diver of the Year.

“That’s really cool to walk away with it, especially with this meet not going exactly how I wanted it to,” Tolerico said. “It’s really cool and it was just great diving against everyone.”

Rounding out a successful day for the Mountain Lions, Tolerico’s coach at Mountain View – CT Robinson – was voted CHSCA’s 4A Dive Coach of the Year.

“That was amazing,” Tolerico said. “I’m so happy that he got it. He’s worked so hard. That made me really happy and it’s really great to see him get up there and get recognition finally.”

Rounding out the top 10, Northfield freshman Carter Bachman (469.50) placed sixth, Windsor’s Anthony Mascarenas (463.40) was seventh, Silver Creek’s Rider Neeb (448.20) finished eighth, Northfield’s Dennis Kolesnikov (433.25) was ninth and Pomona’s Anthony Stone (422.15) took 10th.

The 4A boys swim and dive state championships will continue with swim finals on Friday evening. The 5A finals for both swim and dive will be held on Saturday.