It didn’t take long for former Regis High School diver Sean Moore to adapt to college competition. Only 10 months removed from his high school graduation, Moore recently claimed an NCAA individual championship in the platform as a freshman at Ohio State.
Denver native Moore entered the final round in sixth place after the preliminaries but finished with an NCAA-record score of 478.20 to win by 18 points at the NCAA swimming and diving championships in Federal Way, Wash.
He still has a way to go to match his father’s accomplishments. Tim Moore, a radiologist, won five NCAA individual championships for Ohio State in the 1970s and placed fifth off the platform at the 1976 Olympics.
Q: “Sean Moore, NCAA champion.” Gotten used to that?
A: It’s kind of funny. It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I still find it odd when people say that. But I do like the sound of it.
Q: You placed second at the Big Ten championships on platform. Did you believe you had a realistic chance to win at nationals?
A: I knew I had what it took to win. All the dives I did in the final, I had done well at least some point in the year. It all came together at the right time.
Q: How’s college life treating you?
A: It’s good. It kind of wears on you a little bit, though, with the dorm and the food and stuff. But I’m happy. I’m doing pretty well in school. I’m diving great. It just gets tricky managing everything. When I come back from a meet, I barely get caught up with schoolwork before I have to leave again.
Q: Everybody knows about Ohio State football and basketball. Do other students even know who you are?
A: I’m not sure. It’s tough to say. I’ve had a couple of people come up and say hi to me. The football players will always be the top dogs around here.
Q: You OK with that?
A: I’m totally fine with that. It’s not something that’s important to me. Maybe if I keep diving well, after four years a few more people will know me. But I have enough friends already.
Q: You go to the home football games?
A: Every one.
Q: Do you run into people in Columbus who remember your dad?
A: Yeah, that happens all the time. There’s a big picture of Dad in the Schottenstein Center (arena used for basketball and hockey) for getting into the Ohio State Hall of Fame. It’s kind of funny how people stick around OSU a long time after they finish.
Q: Maybe you can follow your dad into the Ohio State Hall of Fame.
A: That would be great. Put my picture right up there with my dad. But I think I’ll have to win a few more championships before that happens.
Q: Did you ever have any second thoughts about following in your father’s footsteps? Sometimes that’s difficult.
A: It’s not something I think about when I’m making decisions or anything like that. It would be pretty hard for me to achieve what my dad did, so it’s not something that bothers me at all.
Q: Do you miss Colorado?
A: Oh, yeah. I miss the sunshine and all that. It gets kind of dreary here. I miss the weather in Colorado and the crisp air. I’ve only been back for Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I’m definitely hurtin’ to get back.
Q: One more thing we have to ask. As a kid, did you ever feel any fear of heights standing on the 10-meter platform?
A: Oh, I still have a fear of the platform. If you’re not just a little bit uncomfortable up there, you probably don’t have a pulse. It’s interesting. You just have to sort of separate your mind and your body. Especially when you’re learning new dives up there, you just have to let go and let your body do all the work and not think about it.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
