Positioned on the springboard and hovering 1 meter over the water, senior and Duke University diving commit Avery Hillier was ready to defend her state title. At the 2025 PIAA 3A Swimming and Diving Championships on March 14, Hillier tallied 480.35 points and a score of 20, winning the women’s 1-meter diving event for the second consecutive time in her high school career.
“The anticipation for the meet was really stressful as I had a title to defend, and states is just overwhelming with all of the good divers that are there,” Hillier said.
In the 1-meter diving event, athletes perform 11 dives in front of judges, gaining points based on difficulty and judges’ overall scores. While Hillier’s specialty is the 10-meter platform, only the 1-meter dive is offered at the high school level for PIAA. Hillier’s state win, following her district win three weeks prior, left her satisfied at the end of her high school career.
“It felt really good to end my diving career with a win. I felt really proud of my performance and was really happy to get the win,” Hillier said. “Immediately following the win, I went over and hugged my coach, who is my mother.”
Avery Hillier’s mother Megan Hillier is the diving coach for Conestoga. Megan Hillier was also a diver for Conestoga.Balancing the roles of coach and mother, Megan Hillier felt anxious about Avery Hillier’s performance during the competition, but toward the last dive, her emotions shifted.
“My emotions were crazy because as her coach, I have to be serious and I have to be focused, and I have to think of her as a diver and not my daughter. But as a mother, I was super nervous. I can’t even describe the feeling,” Megan Hillier said. “As she was going into the last dive, I had this feeling of just pure joy, because I knew that nobody could catch her. That was an awesome feeling, to know that she had worked so hard and this was going to be her title again.”
Although Avery Hillier’s main focus is diving, she occasionally swam the 50-meter freestyle and butterfly in high school. Nominated by her teammates and confirmed by the coaches, she served as a captain of the swim and dive team. Her continued presence and support of her teammates at meets, even after competing her event, demonstrates her commitment to the team.
“She (Avery Hillier) is the biggest cheerleader. Because diving happens at the beginning of a meet, not many divers stay to watch their teammates swim, but she stayed the whole time,” Megan Hillier said. “She was really honored to be (chosen as) a captain and really proud of the team.”
Freshman and swimmer Lauren Goelz describes Avery Hillier’s wins as an inspiring and remarkable accomplishment. Goelz believes Avery Hillier will leave a lasting impression on the Conestoga swim and dive team.
“It was really cool to see her on the podium,” Goelz said. “She (will have) the legacy as one of the best divers for ’Stoga and as one of the best divers in the state for the Class of 2025.”
For Avery Hillier, the experience of being part of Conestoga’s swim and dive team shaped both her growth and outlook, and she values the experiences that the team gave her.
“’Stoga diving has impacted my life because it has shown me how to be resilient in the face of a challenge,” Avery Hillier said. “But, it has also introduced me to some amazing people that will always have an impact on my life.”
Gabe Eisenberg can be reached at [email protected].
William Simon can be reached at [email protected].
