The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
US’ Holtz is busy in pool, on ice this winter
Michael Holtz takes the student-athlete role a little further than the norm for US as a diver, as a backup goaltender for the hockey team and, of course, as a student. Chris Lillstrung has the story.
Michael Holtz’s friends might want to cut him some slack if he says his free time is limited during the winter.
The University junior is not stretching the truth at all there.
But he is stretching every minute for all it’s worth, trying to juggle disciplines as best he can.
Holtz takes the studentathlete role a little further than the norm for US in the winter as a diver, as a backup goaltender for the Preppers’ hockey team and, of course, as a student on top of it.
On Feb. 13 at the Division II Cleveland State District diving competition, Holtz placed fifth with a score of 372.05 to earn his first career state berth.
Typically, when divers take on a second winter sport, it’s gymnastics since many are converted gymnasts and the sports fit so naturally together with the body contortion required.
But Holtz’s journey is a bit different than that.
In diving, Holtz was fourth at the Blazer Invitational during the regular season with a 297.85.
In hockey, he serves as the No. 2 goaltender for US behind senior netminder Critter Coughlin. He played in nine regularseason games for the Preppers, starting eight, and was 4-3-1 with 161 saves and a goals-against average of 3.86.
Four days after qualifying for state in diving, Holtz split time between the pipes with Coughlin in US’ Kent District opener, a mercyrule win over Chagrin Falls on Feb. 17.
“I started playing hockey when I was 4 when I moved to Canada, and then I moved back,” Holtz said. “My little sister started diving two years ago, and she really liked it. She started picking it up really fast. So I decided I’d give it a try, and it was an interesting skill set I never really found before.
“I wanted to continue both. Luckily, I’m able to practice most days after hockey and go straight to diving. So it’s really worked out well.”
Prior to returning to Northeast Ohio, Holtz lived in Burlington, Ontario, in the southwest suburbs of Toronto.
The US hockey team plays its home games and practices at the Cleveland Heights Pavilion. Like much of the area diving contingent, Holtz dives with American Flyers, coached by Marc Cahalane and primarily based at Solon.
As many Northeast Ohioans are aware, getting around the I-271 corridor can be a chore at any time, let alone when you’re as pressed for time as Holtz can be.
“Three days a week, I go straight to hockey for an hour and then straight over to diving for 2 1/2 hours of practice,” Holtz said. “And then Tuesdays are a lot easier, because we lift weights for hockey. So I can go rest a little bit and then go to diving.
“But between all of the hockey games, they’re more hectic any day of the week. I have to show up to the hockey games because it’s a team sport and it’s more than just me. But I’ve kind of been able to dedicate myself to both sports. It’s a lot of late nights doing homework, starting at 11 and 12 at night and staying up as late as I have to.”
At CSU, with teammate Ian Binder earning his second straight trip to Canton with a sixth-place finish, US coach Brian Perry said it marks the first time in school history the Preppers have sent two divers to state in the same year.
How Holtz became part of that footnote is laudable.
He was 11th at CSU as a sophomore with a 264.70, so his performance Feb. 13 was a 107.35-point ascent yearto-year.
“I started going to a lot more practices over the summer,” Holtz said. “I started really focusing on diving throughout all year round. So it was probably mostly the practices, going straight from Beachwood for a couple hours to CSU for a couple more.
“I just think all of the hard work finally paid off.”
Holtz was steady in the five-dive preliminary round, including a 43.20 on his fourth dive. His eighth dive, during the semifinals, was his best. Holtz went for a reverse 2 somersault tuck that earned him his top score for the meet, a 43.70. He finished with a 37.80 on his 11th dive to punctuate his first trip to state.
“My final dive, an inward double, has been trouble for me,” Holtz said. “Even in warmups, I was going short. But I managed to get to my feet during the meet, and that’s when it really counts.”
It’ll really count Feb. 20. Holtz has D-II state diving at 2 p.m. Feb. 20 in Canton, and the Preppers have a Kent District hockey quarterfinal at 8 p.m. against Kenston.
His friends have to cut him some slack this time of year, but chances are they marvel at how Holtz balances time amid a special winter campaign.
“Oh, it’s going to be chaotic,” Holtz said. “I hope that I do well in both sports – and finally get some rest.”