2017 state champion to dive for California school

PALMER — Chloe Hartman spent most of her life involved in competitive cheerleading. But three years ago, Hartman, with a bit of a nudge from her mom, decided to give diving a try.

Now Hartman, a past state champion, has the opportunity to compete in her new sport at the next level. The Palmer High School senior signed her National Letter of Intent Nov. 20 to attend Biola University in La Miranda, California, and compete for the school’s Division II diving program.

“My first year I would have never thought I was going to dive in college,” Hartman said during her signing ceremony in the Palmer High library. “It really shows how God has everything planned out and he knows what is going to happen. I gave it all, and here I am.”

In just her second year competing in the sport, Hartman, then a junior, earned an ASAA state title in girls’ diving. Hartman finished fourth in the state event as a senior.

“I really had no idea how good I was going to be until that first season,” Hartman said.

Hartman spent 11 years in competitive cheerleading. She also spent three years in cheerleading at Palmer High. But after a chance encounter during a trip on a ferry, Hartman found herself on the diving board. Hartman said her mom spent a year as a cheerleading coach at Palmer. During that season on a road trip, the PHS cheerleading team was on the same ferry as the Soldotna High School swimming and diving program. Hartman said after her mom had a conversation with the SoHi diving coach, Hartman’s mom had an idea for her.

“She said you should try diving. I didn’t really want to,” Hartman said.

But Hartman gave it a shot.

“The first practice, I loved it,” Hartman said. “It was a perfect transition for me, from cheer to dive. I wasn’t really planning, focusing, on doing super well. I wanted to do something I enjoyed.”

Hartman’s success in the high school pool led to a number of opportunities at the college level.

“At first, a bunch of colleges were talking to me,” Hartman said. “It was really hard to decide which one stuck out.”

Hartman said there were specific things she was looking for in a school.

“A private, smaller university,” Hartman said. “Swimming and diving program, I was looking for a smaller team.”

Hartman said she was also interested in a Christian university, and found all of the above in Biola.

“When I went down and visited, I knew it was for me,” Hartman said.

In the classroom Hartman said she’ll be working toward a career in medicine as a dermatologist.

Contact Frontiersman editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.