To say it was a good weekend for Spartan divers Carly Weiden and Summer Mitchell, and diving coach John Narcy is as big an understatement as saying Homer Simpson enjoys spending time at a donut shop.
Weiden, a junior from Kentwood, Mich., won the Big Ten Championship in the 3-meter diving event and finished third in the 1-meter competition.
Mitchell, a sophomore from Troy, Mich., did the reverse by capturing the Big Ten title in the 1-meter event and placing third in the 3-meter competition.
For their performances, Weiden and Mitchell were named Co-Big Ten Divers of the Year. In addition, Narcy was named Big Ten Diving Coach of the Year.
“The accomplishments these two ladies were able to achieve this weekend is nothing short of amazing,” head swimming coach Jim Lutz said.
“You look at the depth and quality of this conference and you realize real quickly to finish in the top few spots is pretty remarkable.”
Both Weiden and Mitchell said as they approached their final few dives, keeping their focus wasn’t an easy task.
“I had no clue as to where I was going into the final dive,” Weiden said. “I told myself when I got up there just to relax, have fun and just dive and whatever happens happens.”
Mitchell acknowledged she was definitely nervous as the competition neared its conclusion.
“There is a lot of pressure when you’re standing on the board and getting ready to go because you have no clue how the dive is going to go and you want to do it great,” she said.
Narcy said the performances of Weiden and Mitchell were “not a fluke” and that the Big Ten titles for both were the result of a commitment both women made last summer.
“They both came to me and said they wanted to train hard during the summer and we set up a schedule,” he said. “They worked harder than any divers I’ve ever had and I really feel that background is what got them through this championship.”
As for being recognized as the Big Ten Diving Coach of the Year, Narcy gave the credit to his athletes.
“You get Coach of the Year on how well your divers do,” he said. “So they did it and I just get the glory.”
Weiden and Mitchell said seeing the other win a Big Ten title made their accomplishments even more special.
“Looking at it from my coach’s perspective, he never had to feel bad for one or the other,” Weiden said. “It was pretty cool to share that with my teammate.”
Mitchell, who describes diving as “my earthly passion,” has her sights set on a bigger stage than the Big Ten Championships: The 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
“That’s the highest you can go so I want to strive for the best,” she said.
The next step for Weiden and Mitchell will be attempting to qualify for the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships March 22-24 in College Station, Texas.
To get to the championships, both will have to finish in the top two at the NCAA regional qualifiers, which will take place on March 9-10.
“We’ve got to do it all over again and a little bit better,” Narcy said.
