Ryan Reed isn't afraid to take chances.
That was obvious when he joined the cheer squad at Springdale Har-Ber, where he was the only male on the team.
"I had some friends on the team, and they knew I could tumble, so I tried out," said Reed, who has a background in gymnastics. "I had a lot of fun, made new friends, and I got to show off a little bit and play to the crowd."
Reed took an even bigger plunge when he joined the Har-Ber swim team as a diver. He did so without any previous experience other than some recreational swimming.
Reed's adventure into the water began after Har-Ber swim coach Samantha Couch watched his cheer routine during a Har-Ber basketball game. Reed entertained the crowd with a string of flips, and Couch was convinced those moves could translate well onto the diving board.
"I was a sophomore in coach Couch's Theatre I class when she invited me to try out for the team," Reed said. "At first I was a bit reluctant, but I decided to give it a try."
Couch's hunch paid off in a big way as Reed won both the district and state diving championships this year for the Wildcats. He's made such strides in two years on the board that he'll continue his diving career at the University of Denver this fall.
For his effort, Reed is the All-NWADG Diver of the Year.
"Ryan has worked extremely hard for the past 2½ years," Couch said of Reed, who placed third in the state as a junior. "He was able to transfer his gymnastics skills to the diving board with lots of diligence, commitment and dedication. Everyone on the team at Har-Ber was so proud of Ryan when he was on the podium as both the district champion and state champion."
-- Rick Fires • @NWARick
Sports on 03/25/2015