Cape diver handles HUGE expectations flawlessly in winning state title

It’s difficult enough to simply win a state championship – in any sport. However, Cape Central High School senior diver Tommy-Anne Marriot pursued that goal earlier this month having the burden of overwhelming expectations heaped upon her strong shoulders.

Marriott defended her 2023 MSHSAA Class 1 state title recently at the St. Peter’s Rec-Plex and did so with every fan in the facility watching to see if she could handle the pressure of being the favored competitor.

“I think that she handles that (pressure) really well,” veteran Tiger swim coach Dayna Powell said.

The Tigers won their first state title as a team by 1 ½ points over Clayton this season after finishing one point out of the runner-up spot last year.

“Having (senior divers) Tommy-Anne and Lydia (Cao) is such a luxury,” Powell said.

A year ago, Cao took fifth place, which accounted for 34 total team points between her and Marriot. This season, Cape Central needed a first-place finish out of Marriott (Cao took 17th place, just 1.1 points out of the individual scoring) to win the team championship. If Marriott had missed one dive and finished second, Cape Central wouldn’t have won the team title.

“In a championship meet,” Powell continued, “scoring 20 points, that is huge.”

Not only would the Tiger fans have had their euphoria taken down a notch in not winning the team championship, but Marriot, who will dive at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind. next fall, would also have been less than satisfied with a runner-up finish, so she had her self-induced pressure to handle, as well.

“Tommy,” Powell said, “before her last three dives, she was kind of dancing on the (pool deck) and having fun. I thought that all of the pressure had been lifted because she knew her last three dives she was confident in.”

One of the biggest swim and dive meets in the state each season is the COMO Invitational in Columbia, and Powell said that Marriott did not win that meet as a junior but did so this year.

“The COMO curse was broken,” Powell laughed.

However, what is noteworthy regarding Marriot is that she reveled in competing at both the COMO meet, as well as the state finals because that is where the top competition always could be found.

“We got to COMO this year,” Powell said, “and she told me that there were some really good divers there and she was happy to see that.

“That helps her raise her game if that is even possible.”

Marriot did just that in the state finals.

After scoring 412.85 points in the competition a year ago, Marriot came back with a 423.85 individual score this season and was named the meet’s Most Outstanding Diver.

“It was really neat to see her compete and have some fun,” Powell said.