Diving requires fitness, flexibility, grace and concentration.  Standing on the board preparing to demonstrate all those things, sophomore Liz Click ignores the cheers of the crowd and her teammates around her.  The smallest error could throw off the whole dive and ruin her chance of victory.

Click began dives for the Stillwater Area High School swim team during the regular high school season and a club team at the University of Minnesota during the rest of the year.  She has made large improvements, especially in the last year as she has invested a great deal of time in training.

“This is my second year diving,” said Click.  “I started because I did gymnastics and my mom just wanted me to try it.  During the high school season I obviously dive for Stillwater and then I dive for MDA, which is Minnesota Diving Academy at the U of M.”

Minnesota Diving Academy is a brand new springboard and platform diving club that offers advanced coaching to divers of all levels. It operates out of the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center and is owned by the current Head Diving coach at the U of M and former Olympic Coach, Wenbo Chen.

“We practice four days a week,” said Click.  “We usually just do dry-land, which is like dry board and conditioning and running and then we get in the water and do one meter, three meter and tower.”

The tower is a new experience for click, since it is not an option in the high school diving program.

“There’s one meter, five meters, seven meters, and ten meters on the tower,” said Click.  “I’ve only gotten up to the seven meter; it’s kind of creepy to go up there.”

Diving requires intense focus; Click is used to dealing with nerves from gymnastics though.  She has performed remarkably well in competitions, considering she has been diving for a fairly short amount of time.

“I think my biggest accomplishment has been getting first at sections and actually placing at state- getting all state,” said Click.

Click has not done any competing outside of the high school season yet, but she has big goals for the club summer season.  She hopes to do well at the summer regionals and make it to summer nationals.

“Liz is a hard worker and can go far if she keeps it up,” said sophomore Megan Weaver, a teammate and friend of Click’s.  “I have no doubt she can reach her goals this summer and in the future.”