Kamehameha diver pursues third state title
By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer
Diving is just a hobby for Joshua Tyau, but like everything else in his life, he approaches it with the goal of being perfect.
Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser
Tyau, of La'ie, ranks No. 7 in his senior class at the Kamehameha Schools with a 4.02 grade point average, getting extra credit for advanced placement courses.
Joshua Tyau plunges headfirst into life, even in school, where he's a 4.02 student.
He has won a multicultural academic scholarship to attend Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and study civil engineering.
But first, Tyau will try to win his third straight state high school diving championship this weekend at Kailua-Kona on the Big Island.
"My goal is to break 400 points for the first time," he said.
Tyau already has won three straight Interscholastic League of Honolulu championships.
Tyau plays water polo in the fall and runs distance events on the Kamehameha track team in the spring.
"Doing sports helps me budget my time better," he said.
Kamehameha diving coach Randy Kim knew he had a prospect when Tyau turned out for diving in the seventh grade.
"We had the kids do flips on the trampoline," Kim said. "Most of them did five. He did 50 nonstop."
The combination of "good air sense, hard work and intelligence" has made Tyau a champion, Kim said.
But there is one area in which Tyau has problems. He has been captain of the coed diving team for four years.
"He is real quiet and shy and he has a hard time telling the girls what to do," Kim said.
Diving preliminaries will start Friday at 9 a.m. at Kailua-Kona Aquatic Complex. The semifinal and final rounds will start Saturday at 8:30 a.m.
