By MICHAEL DIPIAZZA
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: January 22, 2005)

SUFFERN — Ask Clarkstown diver Corey Greene to do a back/tuck dive. No problem.

Then ask him how long it took to learn the dive and you'll be even more amazed.

Yesterday at Suffern High School, Greene virtually solidified the Rockland County championship with that same dive in the ninth round — one day after adding it to his repertoire. The former gymnast earned a total of 283.35 points to win his first-ever diving title.

"It's pretty exciting," the 15-year-old sophomore said, "because I didn't expect it to happen."

Suffern's Ryan Penny turned in a 278.65 for second, and up-and-coming teammate Nick Garcia-Morales, a seventh-grader, was third (275.55). Matt Kafka, Lucas Asteratakis and Thomas Boyle rounded out the final three, respectively.

Greene, who took gymnastics for 10 years, started diving last summer when Victor Byrne, who runs the after-school VB Diving Clinic at Suffern High, noticed him diving at a local pool. With some additional encouragement from the girls 2004 Section 1 diving champ — gymnast Lindsey Adao, also of Clarkstown — Greene decided to give the sport a chance.

Yesterday was his first experience in a championship meet. He and teammate Boyle already had qualified for the sectionals in Clarkstown's second dual meet of the season.

And no matter what the results are from the MRI's taken on his wrists for a gymnastics injury, Greene plans to stick with diving.

"I am more scared of doing moves in the gym than I am on the board," he said. "It hurts a lot more to slam into a bar than to slap against the water."

Greene was slightly more than a point behind Garcia-Morales after the first round of five dives, and trailed Kafka 206.40-204.10 after eight dives.

"Corey has just enough gymnastic experience that it doesn't hurt his diving ability," said Byrne, who is also the diving coach for Suffern. "Gymnastics is definitely good to have as a background."

Garcia-Morales, who also was discovered by Byrne, created a stir among the small crowd as a result of his impressive performance. Having begun to dive competitively two years ago, Garcia-Morales said he was a little intimated by the competition, even though he scored a 10.9 on his 10th dive.

"I really wanted to finish in the top three," he said. "It makes me want to train harder and do my best."

Penny was fourth at the end of the first five dives and after eight, but earned the 11th and final round's highest score with a 6.8.

North Rockland's Eddie Murray completed six dives.

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