{"id":34444,"date":"2026-02-27T15:29:21","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T20:29:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/?p=34444"},"modified":"2026-02-27T15:29:37","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T20:29:37","slug":"light-returns-to-state-with-big-dreams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wzbd.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/27\/light-returns-to-state-with-big-dreams\/","title":{"rendered":"Light returns to state with big dreams"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

DANE FUELLING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

WZBD.com<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

40 months ago a young man walked into coach Amanda Bluhm’s office and said he’d like to try diving. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With no experience before that fall day in 2022, Adams Central freshman Damon Light took the first step in a career that has led him to his second consecutive State Finals and a legacy as the greatest diver in the history of his high school and the ACAC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“He had no previous diving or swimming experience,” recalls Bluhm as she reflected this week on a wild four-year ride.\u00a0“I had him come to an open swim just to see if he was really interested after getting on the board.\u00a0He went off the board a couple of times and I sent the video to our dive coach,\u00a0Stu Smith. I told Stu he really needed to get to the pool and watch Damon.\u00a0He was gonna be good and we needed to encourage him as much as possible.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rest, she says, turned out to be history. Damon’s persistence, commitment to the sport, and willingness to try new dives led him to four conference titles, three sectional titles and now, a second trip to the IHSAA State Finals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Light holds the Adams Central school record in diving for both six and and eleven dives, as well as the ACAC record for 11 dives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last season, Light was 13th after the prelims on Saturday morning and he moved up a spot to twelfth after the semifinals, eventually placing one place higher than that in the finals (11th).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the final day of his career representing the Jetskis, he’ll take his best shot at the Top Ten and beyond. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Damon’s accomplishments are huge for Adams Central,” notes Bluhm. “Not only is he the first diver from Adams Central to ever make it to State, he is the first one to place at State and then return to State.\u00a0The diving records he has set not only for our school, but our conference will stand for a long time.\u00a0He has elevated the sport of diving for our school and our conference.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diving preliminaries do not start until Saturday morning at 9 a.m., after the Friday night swimming prelims. 20 divers will advance from 32 preliminary after five dives. Those 20 will dive three more times and be cut down to 16 finalists. Each finalist will complete three more dives for the total of 11.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Light will be the 28th diver off the board Saturday morning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year’s record-setting state champion Grant Cates of Oak Hill has graduated, leaving the door open for a new state champion this season in Indiana.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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