CLEVELAND, Ohio — Well before Abby Wilkov established herself as a stand out diver in Northeast Ohio, she already had many of the tools that would help her succeed in the pool.
“I was a competitive gymnast for eight years, and then I just wasn't very good at it, to be completely honest," said Wilkov. "A lot of gymnasts try diving, so I tried it once, and now here we are."
Wilkov dove at Solon High School, before taking her talents to the collegiate level at Case Western Reserve University, where she’s a junior majoring in neuroscience. She’s become a powerhouse, cementing herself as one of the best to ever compete for the Spartans.
Morgan Gougler has been the diving coach at Case Western since fall of 2019. Wilkov has become the most decorated diver in program history under her tutelage.
“She puts in her work. She's had struggles throughout her three years, and she's had to overcome those. It's really great to see kind of her tenacity and dedication to the sport,” said Gougler.
Wilkov set two school records last weekend, becoming the first diver in Case Western history to break 500.0 points in the 11-dive versions of each event, smashing her own previous program records. Wilkov scored 552.70 in 11 dives on the 3-meter board, beating her program record of 459.65 set in 2021. In 11 dives on the 1-meter board, she scored 509.25, to beat her former school-best of 477.15, also set in 2021.
“It's really exciting because I've been working really hard these past two years. To finally have it show in the numbers feels amazing,” said Wilkov.
“She's doing a lot of harder dives now, so it's really nice to kinda see it all come together and for her to show off that hard work and dedication she’s had all year,” said Gougler.
The University Athletic Association is taking notice, too. Wilkov has earned UAA Diver of the Week honors for the second consecutive week and the fourth time this season.
“It's just kind of crazy for me. I've come so far from freshman year just to now. It’s insane,” said Wilkov.
And she’s not done yet.
“It definitely makes me wanna keep working and keep trying to improve every day,” said Wilkov.
Carly Mascitti is a sports anchor at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Twitter @carlymascitti.
