Standing on the plank at Wednesday’s PIAA Class 3A title meet, Seneca Valley diver Isaiah Clerkley wasn’t concerned with the before or after — only what was directly in front of him.

“I just tried to stay relaxed, not too much pressure on myself, and just focus on one dive at a time,” said Clerkley, a senior. “I wouldn’t dwell too much on the past or look too far into the future. I just focused on the next dive I had to perform.”

Isaiah Clerkley

The approach worked in Clerkley’s favor, as he left Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium with a gold medal, finishing with 570.40 points and nearly 80 points ahead of the nearest competitor.

“I started out strong and I was pretty consistent throughout the meet,” Clerkley said of his 11 dives. “(There was) only one dive that I really messed up and, other than that, I finished strong and felt good about how I did.”

It was Clerkley’s third trip to the state meet. He took 15th place as a sophomore in 2022 before finishing as the runner-up — less than four points behind North Penn’s Brady Stanton — last year.

“It pushed me to work hard because I knew last year I did my best and ended up second,” Clerkley said. “I knew I just had to get better, had to get some harder dives, and just get better with my technique and perfect what I have.”

The prior experience also provided a deal of conviction heading into this meet.

“Confidence played a big role because I knew what I was capable,” Clerkley said. “I knew if I just stayed calm, I could do my best.”

The reverse two-and-a-half somersault was a fairly new dive for Clerkley. It was also the highest-scoring of his on the day. His reverse one-and-a-half somersault with one and a half twists scored high, as well.

“I was a gymnast before I dove, so I was used to kind of being up in the air flipping and twisting,” Clerkley said. “That really helped a lot in the transition. ... It helped me improve really fast.”

Having already claimed a pair of WPIAL gold medals, the state award rounds out Clerkley’s collection.

“It’s a great way to end my career because that was definitely one of my biggest goals going into the season — was to take home the gold at states,” Clerkley said. “It was the biggest meet of my high school season.”

Seneca Valley’s girls 200-yard medley relay team placed eighth to earn a medal with a time of 1 minute, 49.01 seconds. The quartet was comprised of Lena Rothrock, Katie Bookwalter, Bella Kling and Sasha Myers.