Diving is not a sport that is meant to be effortless, painless or uncomplicated. When divers step onto a board, they must be composed and focused for their next descent to the water.
Divers heave themselves into the air, fighting mentally and physically with themselves. They must turn, twist and contort their bodies in an elegant fashion before plunging deep into the water below — not to mention the pain of messing up. Anything can happen on each and every dive.
This past weekend, a pair of Thunder divers put themselves on the line for their team, diving into the CCIW Diving Championship, poised for greatness.
In his first season of competitive diving, freshman Dylan Sosso earned the Thunder 28 points in the men’s diving competition. On Friday, Sosso participated in the men’s one-meter dive, scoring a 374.25 and earning a fifth place finish. During Saturday’s three-meter dive competition, Sosso again finished in fifth place, this time with a score of 391.75.
“Dylan has been a joy to have as a teammate and friend,” junior Sarah Neubaum explained. “Having only two people on the diving team means lots of bonding, especially since we drive to practice with a club team nearby once a week.”
For the women’s side of the event, Neubaum was very eager to contend for a top spot.
“I honed the dives I learned last season and was so excited to compete my three-meter list at conference for the first time,” she explained.
Neubaum also perfected her motto, “Dive like a princess, not a starfish,” earning the 
Thunder 29 points during the weekend. The junior finished third with a score of 279.10 in the women’s three-meter dive on Friday night and finished in sixth place with a score of 269.10 in the one-meter dive on Saturday. All of the points Sosso and Neubaum earned during the weekend will be added to the total team points earned at the CCIW Swimming Championships, which begin this upcoming weekend.
Despite the success experienced by the pair of divers, both are focused on improving themselves, their team and techniques for future seasons, as both will be returning for next season.