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Ortiz Lives Up To Potential With Strong State Showing

Kathy Waters/Highlands Today

All Heartland boys diver of the year Miguel Ortiz had plenty of potential to live up to this season, and after rolling through districts and regionals with an 11-dive arsenal, he lived up to it with a 15th-place finish at state.

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By Christopher  Hoffman | Highlands Today

Published: January 4, 2008

AVON PARK — Potential is a heavy word to put on a kid, and with it comes plenty of pressure — much of it self-imposed.

Avon Park's Miguel Ortiz handled pressure from all sides during the diving season, taking his talent past the bar his potential had set for him in finishing 15th at the Class 1A state finals in Orlando.

Raising the bar for the next in line, Ortiz showed his true colors en route to an undefeated regular season and through the Class 1A-District 5 meet and was an overwhelming choice as the 2007 Highlands Today All-Heartland Boys Diver of the Year.

"It all started at the beginning of the season for me," Ortiz said. "Normally, we [AP dive coach Shane Wiries] work on six dives and then add more dives before districts. But this year, we worked on all 11 dives from the start.

"That was the difference for me."

The 6-foot-5 senior had the fire in his belly to make his mark after watching his brother Josue earn a scholarship to Harvard, where he's slated to play football for the Crimson. The friendly rivalry between him and his brother grew to wanting something more — something to call his own.

"I saw how much success my brother attained, and I promised to work as hard," Ortiz said. "I've always been compared to my brother, and I guess that's why I really wanted to excel in diving. I wanted something of my own."

Ortiz' diving skills peaked the interest of many coaches whose divers he'd compete against and regularly beat.

"He's just fearless," said Sebring diving coach James Dion. "He just goes for it on every dive."

Coach Wiries has watched Ortiz's metamorphosis from a clumsy freshman, who was unsure and lacked the coordination needed for the sport. He now sees Ortiz as a confident upperclassman with a bright future ahead of him.

"As a freshman, he was still going through growth spurts and wasn't settled into his body," Wiries said. "But the potential was there and all I had to do was develop it."

After he filled into his lengthy frame, Ortiz became motivated to leave a strong legacy.

"I've had three divers (Jorge Gonzalez, Jose Rivera and Stephen Acevedo) that were extremely talented at Avon Park," Wiries said. "Miguel is right up there in that list with the best."

What made Ortiz so special on the platform was his height that allowed him to raise his level of difficulty and try the harder dives that many other kids wouldn't attempt.

The hardest dive in his arsenal was the forward 2 1/2 that he "cleaned up a lot" and helped him in separating him from the rest of the pack.

Moving on after high school, Ortiz, who sports a 3.4 GPA, says that he hopes to dive in college and is weighing his choices, but no matter what, diving will always be a part of him.

"The biggest thing I'll miss is the other divers I've called teammates," Ortiz said. "The bond we developed and the memories we shared. I'll miss that.

"And winning. Winning never gets old."

The Team

Shaanan Spiegel, senior, Sebring: Many things have been written and said about Spiegel, but the label that seems to have stuck is "pure athlete," and the senior showed his prowess on the diving board in '07.

The Blue Streak senior scored a season-best 344.27 points in 11 dives in the 1-meter competition at the Blue Streak pool during the Class 2A-District 7 diving meet in October to move on to the regionals.

"Shaanan is as tough a competitor as your going to find," Dion said. "He stayed on top of his game the whole season and it showed in his performance."

John Chittum, junior, Avon Park: Coming out of nowhere, Chittum was the surprise of the '07 diving season, as he showed the drive and determination to place second at the district meet in his first full season on the board.

"He just has no fear and is hungry to learn," Wiries said. "He's worked on his technique and has come a long way in a short time."

Chittum was told after last season by Wiries that he wasn't cut out for this sport, but the desire lingered, and the sophomore came back to prove his coach wrong.

"I worked with Steven [Acevedo] during the summer," Chittum said. "I was motivated by the comments coach made. I came back and added some dives and shocked even myself in how well I did this season."

Chittum is slated to fill the shoes left by Ortiz and to add a trip to the state finals in the coming seasons.

"I'll be there," he said.

Coach Of The Year

With the ability to scout talent and mold that potential into a force on the board, Avon Park's Shane Wiries has proven time and time again his dedication and importance to diving in the Heartland.

For each of his dozen-plus seasons, Wiries has taken at least one diver to the state finals, with Ortiz continuing that tradition with a remarkable finish in Orlando.

"It's hard to get kids interested in the sport," the AP coach said. "With so many other sports vying for their time, it has been a challenge to find the next standout diver for Avon Park."

For his dedication and excellence in the sport, Wiries has been named the 2007 Highlands Today Diving Coach of the Year.

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