A Song and a Splash

The shine of the spotlight on his face as he prepares to sing. 

The cold plunge into water after twisting and contorting through the air. 

These are things that Sophomore Peter Buskirk experiences quite often as he competes at some of the highest levels in both choir and dive.

“In 2021, I qualified for my second Junior nationals,” the young phenom humbly stated.

But Buskirks’s talents do not end at the edge of the diving board.

“I think one of the best things [Buskirk] brings to the table is his energy and the enthusiasm and the passion that he has. Because you can have people with great voices, but if they don’t put a lot behind it, it’s just not as powerful,” said Choir Director Tamara Krause. 

The dual-talent placed second overall in the state dive meet in 2022 (first place went to a senior), and was the first alternate for Arizona’s all-state choir ensemble in 2021. 

Buskirk’s athletic endeavors first began at around age eleven as he transitioned from gymnastics over to dive. 

The main cause for Buskirk’s switch was because of the brighter future that men’s diving held.

“I started doing dive in the summers between fourth and fifth grade, and I kind of fell in love and now I’m still doing it six years later,” said Buskirk.

Once he started the sport, Buskirk instantly embraced the sense of community and unity that came with his team. 

“Even though you’re growing individually, everybody’s kind of moving at a similar pace … and so like every time someone gets a new dive, it’s like a huge thing,” Burskirk said.

However, Buskirk’s success in the sport did not come without a good amount of work. 

“I have practice six days a week. So, it’s everyday after school from anywhere for like two to three hours,“said Buskirk.

This intense training helped Burkirk really take his abilities to the next level, and he hopes it will pay off with college offers.

“I can start talking to colleges on March 15 (2023), and right now my plan is to dive into college … I would love to go to the University of Tennessee; they’re a really good dive school,” said Buskirk.

Buskirk’s adventures in choir took a slightly different path than in diving; he first began the activity in his last year of middle school, when he actually auditioned for the Sunnyslope choir as just an eighth grader.

“He made the effort as an eighth grader to come in and audition. And so he went into the concert choir as a freshman instead of the beginning men’s choir,” said Krause

Once he began, Buskirk, similarly to dive, fell in love with the community that came with the Sunnyslope choir.

“It’s just been a really great time because I’m surrounded by all of these like amazing people,” said Buskirk.

Krause agreed with this sentiment, and some of her favorite moments with Peter came through that sense of community, especially after he made Sunnyslope’s vocal ensemble this year.

“It’s such a big deal and we do a lock-in at the beginning of the year and just having him be a part of that … and seeing him rise up to the occasion and make his place in the class … that was really awesome,” said Krause.

Buskirk’s success in both these activities did require him to adapt and overcome some challenges, specifically on the mental side.

“Both things are pretty stressful … So, I’ve really learned how to monitor myself and like, stay calm in stressful situations,” said Buskirk.

As Buskirk’s high school career continues, some of his goals include winning state for diving and making the All-state team for the bass section in choir.

With all that Buskirk has done so far, these goals are entirely possible, and Sunnyslope can’t wait to see what this second year prodigy will do next as he continues to build his skills, both on the board and on the stage