County Line
West Bloomfield diver Jeremy Hertza wins the Oakland
County championship and Berkley's Simon Galed beats the
clock in the 100 freestyle.
STEVE STEIN STAFF WRITER
J
eremy Hertza has ADD (attention deficit dis-
order), he suffers from asthma, and he's al-
lergic to antibiotics among other things.
Oh, yes, the 17-year-old West Bloomfield
High School senior also is the best prep div-
er in Oakland County and a prime contender
for the Class A state championship.
And he's a 4.0 grade-point-average student
who is going at a 4.5 clip this year because of
advanced-placement classes.
Hertza is being heavily recruited by uni-
versities like Michigan, Michigan State, Co-
lumbia and Northwestern. He plans to dive
in college and major in pre-medicine.
Hertza dissected the competition at the
county boys swimming meet last Saturday
at Royal Oak Dondero High School, scoring
448.70 points. His nearest competitor, Casey
Guntzuiller of Walled Lake, had 400.05
points.
While the county championship meant a
lot to the 5-foot-5, 125-pound Hertza, es-
pecially after his back-to-back fourth-place
finishes in the meet as a sophomore and ju-
nior, he says everything he's doing these
days is "practice"
for the Saturday,
March 11, Class A
state meet at
Michigan State
University.
His objective this
season is to win the
state champi-
onship. He was
12th last year and
32nd as a sopho-
more, and he
wants to continue
that improvement.
Hertza knows
quite a bit about
the determination
and effort it takes
to achieve lofty
goals. He's already
done it in the class-
room and on the
diving board.
This is only his
fourth year of div-
ing and just the
second since he
gave up gymnastics
after a stellar ca-
reer in that sport.
"Success is all a
matter of self-moti-
vation and focus,"
said Hertza.
Jeremy Hertza relaxes before the diving competition at the Oakland
"Take acade-
County meet.
mics, for example ... I
know it takes me two
or three times longer to
memorize stuff than
other kids, so I just
work at it," Hertza
said.
The death of his
grandfather, Jack Si-
mons, three years ago
provides Hertza with
extra inspiration.
"We were very close.
I feel he's watching
over me," Hertza said.
"My grandfather was
very influential in my
life because he respect-
ed how hard I worked
and what I was trying
to achieve."
Hertza's picture is
displayed in a hallway Berkley's Simon Galed is a picture of concentration.
at West Bloomfield
High because of his all-league honors. In the sociation (MSAA) boys diving title before the
photograph, he's wearing one of his grand- league disbanded and merged into the new
father's flannel shirts.
Oakland Activities Association.
Previously, Hertza was fifth in the MSAA
as a freshman and second as a sophomore.
A three-time winner of West Bloomfield's
Everything is "practice" for Diver
of the Year honor, Hertza is captain of
the Lakers' diving contingent this winter.
the state meet.
This past summer, Hertza captured the 3-
meter state championship in United States
Swimming competition. He's a member of
Also providing constant inspiration for the High Divers team out of Brighton.
Hertza are his parents, Ron and Diane, own-
In other performances of note at the coun-
ers of Pomeroy's Seafood Co. in West Bloom- ty meet:
* Berkley's Simon Galed placed third in
field, and his 13-year-old brother Jamie, an
eighth-grader at Orchard Lake Middle School the 50 freestyle in 22.45 and fourth in the 100
who is a state champion gymnast.
freestyle in 49.19. That clocking in the 100
Eric Best, who has been Hertza's diving qualified him for the Class A state meet (the
coach at West Bloomfield all four years, says cutoff is 49.59). He already had earned a state
he knew midway through Hertza's freshman meet berth in the 50 freestyle.
Galed also helped the Beam finish third in
season that "he was going to be a heck of a
diver, maybe a state champion.
the 400 medley relay in 1:43.28, which just
"Besides his focus and determination, Je- missed the state cut of 1:43.19. In addition,
remy's strength is his consistency. There are Galed was a member of Berkley's 400
stronger divers, but Jeremy can finish his freestyle relay team which placed 10th in
dives straight up-and-down all day long," Best 3:28.71.
said.
* Dave Stegman of West Bloomfield was
When the diving competition is held at a third in the 100 butterfly in 53.44 and 16th
swim meet, the pool is silent and all eyes are in the 200 individual medley in 2:09.69.
* Kevin Schwartz of Bloomfield Hills An-
on the participants. Rice believes this helps
Hertza.
dover was fifth in the 100 butterfly in 55.36
"Jeremy is able to block out distractions, and 10th in the 50 freestyle in 23.37.
* Aaron Freilich of Andover was 17th in
but with less going on, it makes it easier for
the 100 breaststroke in 1:06.46 and 24th in
him to concentrate," Best said.
Hertza made it to the state meet last year the 200 IM in 2:15.04.
* Adam Rosender of West Bloomfield was
by winning a regional championship. He also
won the final Metro Suburban Activities As- 11th in the 500 freestyle in 5:09.31. ❑