Here's an easy question: What's better than winning a championship?
Answer: winning two championships.
Five days after claiming one prep school title, Wilbraham & Monson Academy's Lukas Stanton '18 won another. Lukas posted the high score Feb. 24 at the Bud Erich Swimming and Diving Championship at Hopkins School in New Haven, Conn., then took first at the New England Division III Championship March 1 at Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, Mass.
"It was very satisfying, knowing all the hard work I did during the season," he said.
And Lukas did plenty of work during the season. Since there's no diving held at WMA, Lukas traveled to Springfield College 3 to 4 times a week. On weeknights, he would stay at school before heading to his 6:30 – 8 p.m. practice. On Sundays, he would practice for two hours. He occasionally also practiced Mondays and Fridays as well.
Lukas entered the season with a career high of 208 for six dives. He broke the school record in the second meet of 2016-17 and finished the regular season with a high score of 227.
Lukas treated the two championship meets like any other competition, and that coolness proved to work. He won the Bud Erich event, which served as the Western New England championship, by nearly 27 points with a score of 337.10.
Despite the win, the meet didn't sit well with Lukas, largely due to a failed dive on one of his 11 attempts.
"I think I did well but not as well as I could have done," Lukas said. "There were a couple dives I didn't do as well as I wanted to. I could have gotten a higher score but I didn't.
"On the failed dive, I had a bad hurdle, meaning the approach jumping up on the board. I didn't quite get around all the way so my feet hit first, and your hands are supposed to hit first."
Prior to the New England meet, Lukas did everything he could to make sure he didn't record a failed dive in his biggest competition of the season.
"The day before New Englands, the failed dive was the only dive I was practicing, just to make sure I didn't fail it again," he explained.
"I did a lot better at New Englands, but I know I could have done better. Some of the points were easy points I shouldn't have gotten off."
Lukas won the New England meet by 35 points with a score of 367.35.