Because of a back injury, Eric Crowley traded in pommel horses and parallel bars for a diving platform.

But in less than a year, the Mars junior ascended to the top of the field after Crowley not only turned in the best score in Class AA this season, but in all of the WPIAL.

"I had done gymnastics for 12 years," said the Valencia resident. "It's really helped me to know a lot of tricks.

"I didn't think it was that hard a transition with all that time in gymnastics. It came naturally," he added.

Crowley's top score of 284.20 is more than 50 points ahead of South Fayette's Luke Mazer (231.0) and he's one of only three divers to eclipse the 200-point plateau this year.

The top reported score in Class AAA this year is 241.45 from Stephen Gatti of Gateway.

"I really didn't know what to expect," said Crowley. "I had never dived at a meet, so I was pretty surprised."

Crowley was a successful gymnast when he trained all those years at Jewart's Gymnastics in the North Hills. He made it to the Junior Olympics twice and to the state finals for the past several years.

"I started competing when I was 8 and then stopped when I was 16, so I made it to states those years," he noted.

When Crowley had the back injury, a fellow gymnast, Jesse Marweg, now a sophomore at Pine-Richland, told him about the possibilities offered in diving.

"There was too much impact (in gymnastics), and I thought diving would be better because there's not as much impact," Crowley added.

Marweg's coach is Keith Hart, who coaches the Pine North Diving Club at Pine-Richland. He now works with Crowley.

"He came aboard during the past fall for pre-season high school season," said Hart. "That was the first I've ever worked for him, and he's a quick learner.

"He was down at Pitt over the summer and then came to me and has really improved," Hart added.

Marweg finished sixth at states last year, and Hart said Marweg was looking for someone to dive with.

Enter Crowley.

"Eric's got a willingness to learn a lot of things," said Hart. "He and Jesse have both gone head to head. (Crowley) was a real good gymnast and he's able to do higher degrees of difficulties on the diving board.

"It's unusual to have someone advance that well," Hart added.

Mars coach Gail Quigley is in her first season at the helm, but she has been impressed by how quickly Crowley has taken to the board.

"He's an incredible diver," said Quigley. "He has a lot of pretty difficult dives and this is the first year he's ever trained as a diver. He's already doing 2-2½s, the higher difficulties."

"I try and have the highest degree of difficulty, and, after that, keep trying to perfect it," Crowley

With the WPIAL meet looming next month and the state meet after that, the pressure will definitely pick up, but Crowley is confident he can continue to improve.

"I'm getting used to it," said Crowley. "I don't get nervous. I'm pretty confident."