The WPIAL Class AAA girls diving field might be loaded, but Diana Rocco has proven she belongs in select company.

The Seneca Valley senior is preparing for her fourth and final WPIAL Championship meet, to be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at North Allegheny High School.

Rocco finished second as a sophomore and third place year.

She and her coach, Maria Misenhelter, are hoping for a similar strong performance this time around.

"She's really grown with her confidence," Misenhelter said of Rocco, who has a school-record score of 265 entering Saturday's event. "She's taken on some more difficult dives."

Rocco is a favorite to finish in the top five and move on to the PIAA meet next month, though the competition will be staunch.

It includes two-time defending champion Amanda Lohman, a senior from Upper St. Clair.

Franklin Regional's Samantha Pickens finished second last year as a freshman and is expected to end up near the top once again.

"I know the girls (seeded) ahead of me are ranked nationally," said Rocco, who is at her best when performing back dives. "I'm hoping for third place and a trip to states, but you never know."

Each diver will perform five voluntary dives (front, back, reverse, inward and twist), along with six optional dives — one each from the five different categories and one of the diver's choosing.

Also competing in the girls competition will be Seneca Valley senior Erin Polite and Butler sophomore Brittney Grenet.

Both will be making their second appearance at the WPIAL meet.

Polite placed 16th as a junior and Grenet 19th as a freshman.

"If Erin could get eighth, I would be thrilled," said Misenhelter.

Grenet's determination has gotten her this far two years in a row.

She already is a member of Butler's 200 Club.

"She has such tenacity," said Butler diving coach Ken Bedford. "She's like a sponge, soaking up everything she can."

Boys

Liz Manuel claims that this time next year she'll be a girl.

Until then, you can just call her Ralph.

That's the nickname Butler swimming coach Jeff Armstrong has given her ever since Manuel chose to compete against male divers this year.

"We only had one boy diver (Heath Calhoun) at the beginning of the year and we had seven girls," said Bedford. "The PIAA has this rule that a girl can compete as a boy as long as she does so the entire season.

"This was Liz's first year of diving and we figured it would help her get ready to go against the girls next year."

"I figured I'd step up and compete against the boys," said Manuel. "I thought it would be a good challenge.

"I do feel extra pressure," admitted Manuel, who enters the district championship with a score of 163. "But it just makes me want to win even more. I don't want to get last (at WPIALs). I just want to do as well as I can."

The boys competition will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at North Allegheny High School.

Three of Manuel's opponents include Calhoun (327.55) and Seneca Valley's Zach Fiscus (208.05), Mike Leroy (177.2) and freshman Max Jergel (167.1).

Calhoun, a sophomore, made the WPIAL meet last season and placed ninth.

"He's gone from a kid just learning how to dive to being on the verge of mastering it," said Bedford.

For Calhoun, it was simply coaching and an increase in practice time that has made him a threat to crack the top five and get to states.

"I spent a lot of time diving over the summer for the Pitt Aquatic Club and at the Clarion (University) Diving Camp," Calhoun said. "Plus, Coach Bedford has been amazing. He helps much more than he realizes."

Fiscus, a junior at Seneca Valley, has a no-fear attitude that has helped him on the diving board.

"Zach will try anything," said Misenhelter. "That helps when it comes to degree of difficulty. Unlike swimming, diving is subjective. The one way divers can help themselves is by increasing the degree of difficulty of their dives."

That's right up Fiscus' alley.

"I've been fearless my whole life," said Fiscus, who placed 21st last year. "As a kid, I was always doing crazy things."

Leroy, a junior, will be making his second appearance at WPIALs. He finished 19th last season.