An Vital First Step – Colorado State Athletics

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A purpose set, a purpose met. The plan in place is to maintain progressing.
 
Colorado State divers Riley Lee and Sydney Ovesen took care of qualifying for the NCAA Zone E Championships throughout the season – every doing it on each springboards. Now, they really get to compete, with the plan to maintain doing so sooner or later.
 
That makes this primary try a valued step.
 
“I would say the expectation is for them to learn from this experience. With it being their first time qualifying, that’s really the biggest takeaway, is doing what they know how the best they’re able but learning as much as they can,” first-year CSU diving coach Seth O’Dea mentioned. “After you qualify, there’s that expectation to qualify once more as we proceed on.
 
“So, them being in this position, having this experience will only better prepare them to perform well next time. We don’t necessarily have that expectation of qualifying (for NCAAs) the first time we go, we want to learn so we can be better prepared.”
 
The competitors takes place March 9/11 on the Wall Aquatic Center at Northern Arizona, the place the Rams have competed earlier than. That familiarity is of some consolation, particularly for Ovesen, who feels the lighting there’s good. The two will carry out Monday on the 1-meter, doing 3-meter on Tuesday. Preliminary rounds begin at 11:30 a.m., every day, adopted by the finals.
 
On the 1-meter, the highest six placers will qualify for the NCAA Championships in Atlanta: on 3-meter, it is the highest seven. There are  greater than 50 qualifiers on every board, with 30 western groups represented.
 
The first order of enterprise for each of them is to take all of it in and easily carry out.
 
“I’m hoping to have fun and to make memories because I’m going to know a lot of people there because a lot of the schools that are going are from my side of the country on the West Coast,” mentioned Lee, a sophomore. “I’m just looking forward to catching up with some people from club and doing my dives the best I’m able and representing CSU as best as I can.”
 
Ovesen, a freshman who was All-Mountain West on 3-meter, needs to make the journey with an open thoughts, centered on studying what she will.
 
Regardless of what the scores inform her – and the judging is often tight at these meets – she’ll go by really feel about how she’s performing, understanding dealing with the stress is a part of the deal.
 
“I think that with every meet comes pressure and this is one of those bigger-pressure meets because there’s something really big at the end of it,” she mentioned. “It’s like at conference when you put pressure on yourself and once you let yourself actually feel the pressure you’ll notice yourself kind of decline in your performance so it’s kind of a way to learn how to not let that pressure get in your head so that next time you can go from there and try and perform better.”
 
Next time is certainly within the plan.
 
They know the sector is stacked and can embrace divers who’ve competed on the nationwide stage. The children have seen what actually attractiveness up up to now, although they anticipate that picture to be expanded.
 
The anticipation is to see what superior dives are being carried out, methods they could need to add to their lists sooner or later. A little bit of examine and distinction if solely to problem themselves.
 
“There’s gonna be a lot of competition looking at lists this weekend. Usually me and Riley are one of the only ones doing a 5333 on 1-meter and there’s at least 10 other girls doing it, so seeing that is like, whoa like I’m not the only one doing this standout dive anymore,” Ovesen mentioned. “I simply need to be pleased with myself for being there doing the dives, and as we all the time say, if it goes to my head then I’m comfortable.
 
“There are seniors who are doing lists with an 18.4 (degree of difficulty) and we’re over here with a 16, and that’s just a huge gap when it comes to dives. Just seeing that actually be done and executed will definitely be something like, holy crap I want to strive to be like that.”
 
Every step turns into a development, Zones representing one transferring ahead.
 
They do not come simply, both, making the duo recognize the one they’re about to take. No matter what occurs, the place they place or how they rating, an accomplishment has already been achieved. This journey is for them and what they will flip it into down the highway.
 
“I think I’m proud of myself for going because like last year I didn’t even get a zones cut, and this year I got my zones cut on both boards, so I’m excited that,” Lee mentioned. “I proved that to myself that I made it happen for myself, but I like want to prove it to myself that I can do well regardless of what scores I get.”
 
As a first-year coach, O’Dea can positively see this as a boon. He has two younger divers who’ve reached this stage, each absolutely understanding there’s extra to pursue. Going as soon as is nice, however the expectations will solely develop.
 
Best to see what they’re after up shut and private.
 
“I would say a successful trip would be them having a positive mental attitude throughout the experience and being proud of just making it to this meet but also being proud of doing what they’ve been doing all year well at this level,” he mentioned. “So, taking some of that pressure off, but still knowing that they can compete and they can perform well.”
 


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