Deep Dive: Florida’s Conor Gesing’s Journey in Sport

Florida junior diver Conor Gesing has been a standout performer on the men’s team since his arrival to Gainesville in 2023, but there was a time when he almost gave up the sport for good.

Gesing’s diving journey began as a youngster when his mom signed him for swim lessons. Dubbing himself as a stubborn child, Gesing wanted no part of getting in the pool. That is, until something else caught his eye and changed his mind.

“I saw people jumping on the diving board and said ‘I’ll do that,” Gesing said.

The Pennsylvania native grew up competing for TNT Diving, a Junior Olympic program based out of Ambler, Pa. There, a coach came along who would soon alter his entire perspective on the sport.

Before landing his current coaching job at Villanova University, Todd Michael spent time working at TNT Diving. Gesing recalls a notable memory from his childhood with Michael that forced an abrupt exit from the pool deck.

“One day Todd decided to throw me into the pool to do a reverse dive and I got out of the pool and quit on the spot,” he said.

A year passed, and Gesing contemplated a return to diving, though this time he was certain it would be for a different team. It wasn’t until he crossed paths with his former club coach and his wife, Tarra, at a local farmer’s market that he was convinced to give his training tactics another shot.

“They were like, “Well why don’t you come try out our team?’ … I was too scared to say ‘no,’ so I said ‘yes.’ A week later I went and tried out, and I ended up staying there for 12 years.”

The coach who drove him away from the sport was the one who reeled him back to the pool, a turnaround that would lead to the collegiate recruitment process.

Gesing’s decision to come to Florida, aside from the year-round sunshine and warm weather, was largely influenced by Gators dive coach Bryan Gillooly, a friend of Michael’s.

“He cares for you beyond the sport. He’s really intuitive about your mental health and physical health,” Gesing said when describing Gillooly’s coaching philosophy. “He really is one of the best parts about being at UF.”

Through his three seasons, Gesing has crafted quite the resume of accolades.

In his debut at the SEC Championships, Gesing stood atop the podium and donned gold in the men’s 3-meter. He finished in fourth in the same event at NCAA B Diving Zones and earned a spot at national, where he capped his freshman campaign with a 38th-place finish. 

As if things couldn’t get better for the 2024 SEC Male Freshman Diver of the Year, Gesing also qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 3-meter dive. Inside Knoxville’s Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center, the Tennessee orange was traded out for red, white and blue. In the prelims, Gesing placed 22nd, and while he wouldn’t advance to finals, it made for the experience of a lifetime.

He carried this trajectory of success over to his sophomore season, returning to the SEC Championships and taking home gold in the 1-meter dive. His score of 412.75 solidified him as Florida’s all-time best performer in that event. At NCAAs, he competed in both springboard events, and with his 14th-place finish on the one-meter, Gesing was named an All-American.

As a junior, he found his footing as a leader amongst his peers. This year’s team featured underclassmen like freshman Jesus Agundez and sophomore Jesus Gonzalez, both of whom have now represented Florida at major meets like SEC Championships and NCAA Diving Zones. When reflecting on the trio’s dynamic, Gesing appreciates the opportunities that come along with training around younger talents.

“Having someone on a team at the same skill level as you is one of the best things to be a better athlete. Being able to compete with one another but also be teammates,” Gesing said about the younger divers. “They’re such a great fit on the team, and I’m excited to see what they do in the next few years.”

Back in February, Gesing made his third straight appearance at the SEC Championships. An incident during platform warmups, however, put him in jeopardy from competing at the meet.

“I slipped off the board, and instead of landing in the pool I actually landed on top of the one-meter platform … I was a little nervous that I wasn’t going to be able to compete, but luckily we were the first warmup, so I had around an hour and a half to get situated and treated for everything.”

A rush of adrenaline, along with the support of his teammates and trainer, saved his hopes of performing despite the scary fall. Gesing went on to dive and advance to the A Finals for both springboard events, where he placed fifth overall in the one-meter and fourth in the three-meter.

Rounding out in the top eight of the 1-meter and top six of the 3-meter at NCAA Zone B Diving Championships, Gesing punched his ticket to nationals for a third-straight year. In March he went on to place fifth in the 3-meter and sixth in 1-meter at the NCAA Championships.

Gesing plans to return next season and finish his collegiate career at Florida. One final chapter remains for the rising senior to cement his legacy as a Gator great.

Category: Gator Sports, Gators Swimming and Diving