For 20 hours every week, Dartmouth's squad of seven men and women divers have been putting in hard work at the pool, and it has been paying off. Through eight meets, the women have swept 11 of 16 events, and the men have won everything but two events of the first meet.
Competing on the one and three meter springboard, this group is dominating the competition and adding valuable points to the swim team's totals.
"This team recognizes its potential within the group," Coach Ron Keenhold said. "We have no highly defined goals, only to keep going after it, and continuing to improve."
While diving is seen primarily as an individual sport, Keenhold is quick to emphasize that individual success comes only through overall team support.
"We are constantly emphasizing the team perspective because the potential is there for everyone to be successful," Keenhold said. "This team is very close. In fact, many of these divers would say some of their very best friends are within this team of seven athletes."
The team's overall success continued this past weekend at Princeton. Toby Hays '99 swept the one meter and three meter competitions for the men. This was no big surprise, as Hays has made a habit of cleaning up the competition. After the first meet of the season, he exploded and has not looked back, winning every event he has entered.
"Coming into the season, I didn't really know what to expect in terms of Ivy League competition but everything has been going very smoothly so far," Hays said. "The team's dynamics have been one of our strongest points, and we hope to continue improving through the last four meets of the season."
The women have led a more balanced attack with Sarah Hobson '97, taking control on the three meter, and Cortney duBois '99 and Ann Craig '97 leading the way on the one meter board.
"We are all strong mentally as well as skill wise," duBois said. "So much of diving is a mental thing, and that's where Sarah really helps get us into the right state of mind."
Hobson added, "I've had more experience with college competition so I've sort of taken on the role of encourager. It's important to always learn with every experience, and never give up, even if you totally blow one of your dives."
Hobson points towards the excellent recruiting efforts and high expectations of Keenhold as keys to this year's success.
"He has high expectations for all of us, and he wants us to fulfill those, as well as our own," she said. "He's worked hard over the last two years to strengthen us as a team, and this year is proving to be the high point of that."
While the team concept is being stressed by everyone, the individual success stories cannot be ignored. Hays, duBois and Craig have all qualified for zones, the qualifying meet for the NCAA Championships. A top five combined finish there would insure them a trip to Indianapolis, Ind., but no one seems to be emphasizing those points too much.
"It has been a great year," Hobson said. "We've got a great group effort going, and I think it will keep going."
Wherever their talent takes them, these Dartmouth individuals seemed determined to remember it was the team that helped get them there.
