Cameron Ellis, a junior at Oswego State, is on route to be the future of the Oswego State men’s and women’s swimming and diving team. The Rockland County native has already won two silver medals at the SUNYAC Diving Championships. 

Ellis did not actually start off as a diver as a young kid. He was on a competitive gymnastics team from the fifth to seventh grade. He was at his local swimming pool hanging out with some friends on the diving board, and that is when it all began. Ellis was approached by a scout who encouraged him to come down and dive for his club team. After a short talk with his mom, the 14-year-old went and joined the team and the rest is history. 

After diving all throughout high school at Clarkstown High School South in West Nyack Ellis decided to attend Oswego State to continue his athletic career following a recruitment trip. He said that the all of the swimmers and divers seemed like a “really close-knit family” and that it seemed like “a group of friends that were supportive all the time.” 

Besides the fact that Ellis has qualified for regional competitions and has even placed second in both 1-meter and 3-meter diving at the SUNYAC Championships, he still battles with nerves before he competes. His key to overcoming the butterflies in his stomach is breathing and visualizing.

 “It’s just the normal thoughts that probably go through people’s head,” Ellis said. “But breathing and visualizing helps me the most.” 

Oswego State’s diving coach, Kevin Morgan, has been working with Ellis the last three years and has recognized some of the things that make Ellis so great. 

“I think it’s his attention to detail and his consistency that makes him so successful,” Morgan said. “He really grew this last season and wanted to not only get better as an athlete but understand how those processes were going to work.” 

Morgan emphasizes that he wants anyone he coaches to find one thing they can do every day to make themselves better as a person and a better athlete.
“I want to see them take that success from the diving room and carry those lessons learned in the pool and apply them to their academic and their personal lives,” Morgan said.

Oswego State’s swimming coach, Mike Holman also emphasized that Ellis has a lot of natural talent and is very consistent with what he does.

“When it comes to training, Cam comes in and gets what he has to get done, done,” Holman said. “He really isn’t afraid to try out new things which is important for divers.”

Photo from Oswego State Athletics