We all hear about Edina’s prestigious swim team and imagine kids breast stroking across the blue pool, but what about the divers? EHS divers are a small, yet powerful group who greatly contributes to the team’s success each year. Senior Yasmeen Almog shared a bit about herself and the diving team.

Q: How did you become involved in diving?

A: Starting at the age of five I was actually a competitive trampolinist. It’s a really cool sport, but unfortunately it’s not offered as a high school club or sports team. By the time I got to seventh grade my mom was really adamant about me playing a sport for Edina. She knew from my older siblings that playing a sport for your high school team was a great way to get involved. Because of trampoline I was pretty good at flipping, so my two best options for a sport were diving and comp cheer. I opted for diving and have been doing it ever since!

Q: What is your favorite thing about diving?

A: Most of the time, divers are pretty scared of the dive they are about to do. Every time I go for a new dive, or any dive that I’m afraid of, I get this crazy adrenaline rush. That adrenaline is definitely one of my favorite things about the sport. But beyond that, diving is so fun because it’s basically flying. How many people can say that their sport is all about learning how to fly? I think that’s pretty cool.

Q: What is your best diving memory?

A: Hmmm, my best diving memory…that’s a tough one! From my high school seasons, my best diving memory is probably my first state meet, sophomore year. Going into the meet I was kind of an underdog, no one really knew who I was. In the first five rounds I performed awfully. I just barely made it through the first round of cuts (I was in 19th place by one point, they cut to the top 20). The swimmers really needed the points from diving to help them win it all, and I was really upset with how I was doing. In a break between rounds, one of the judges came up to me and asked me to smile a little more when I was competing. He said he could tell I wasn’t enjoying myself, and it made him sad. So, I pulled myself together, and started trying to have more fun. To my surprise, it actually worked. In three rounds of diving I went from 19th place to 8th place, safely making it past the next round of cuts. In finals I continued to improve, ending up in 6th place overall and scoring some vital points for the team. It was a huge comeback for me and it was awesome to be able to contribute to Edina’s effort as a whole. We ended up winning it all that year, and it was an awesome experience to be a part of.

Q: How do you prepare for your meets?

A: To prepare for meets we always have a warm-up to practice our dives. After that, the key is to stay loose. We usually stretch and jump around. My teammate Emma Thoerner and I have our own special ritual to help us stay calm-nerves can really affect your performance as a diver. Right before we compete, all of the divers huddle up next to the diving board. We stand with our feet in a V and our toes touching so that everyone’s feet make a star when they are all put together. I give everyone’s toes a lucky tap, and then we do our cheer:

E! Edina’s Hot
H! We’ll hit the top
S! We can’t be stopped
EHS Divers!

Q: What is your favorite workout song?

A: Hands down “Get Busy” by Sean Paul. It’s the best. As a group, we listen to a to a lot of different music at practice. Anything from The Scientist (by Coldplay) to Sail (by AWOLnation) to Hands in the Air (by Timbaland).

Q: How do you like your coaches?
A: Mr. Mace is the best. He is so committed to the sport and is very attached to our team. You can tell he loves to be there and that makes us more motivated. I’m not quite sure what we would do without him! Because I am a diver Mace actually doesn’t coach me much. The dive team has our own diving coach named John Dailey. He has been our coach since my sophomore year and it has been amazing to work with him for the past three years. Like Mace, he is incredibly devoted to the team and our success, and it really means a lot as an athlete to see that in your coach.

Q: How has the diving team preformed so far this year?

A: So far, both the dive team and the swim team have performed really well this year. We lost a lot of great seniors after last year’s season, so there were some big shoes to fill, but we have really stood up to the challenge and shown our competitors that Edina is a team to watch out for!

Q: How does the team expect to perform at state this year?

A: Without question the team’s goal is to win it all at state this year. We have won state the past two years in a row, and to do it again for a third time would be absolutely incredible. There is a lot of tough competition out there, but I have full faith in our swimmers and divers to pull through and bring home another victory!

Q: What do you like to do when you’re not diving? Do you participate in other extracurricular activities?

A: While diving does take up a pretty big chunk of my time, I am pretty involved in other extracurricular activities. I mentioned earlier that I was a competitive trampolinist when I was younger, and that is something that I still do. Additionally, I am on Stud Co here at the high school, which is probably my favorite extracurricular that I am a part of. I’m also the Head of Gryffindor House in Harry Potter Club.

Q: What is a fun fact about yourself?

A: One fun fact about myself is that in the off-season I am on a club team called the Minnesota Diving Academy (MDA for short). In the summer time, several members of the U of M team practice with the club. This summer, our team was fortunate enough to be able to practice with an incredible U of M diver named Kelci Bryant. A few weeks into the summer she went to Olympic trials and qualified to compete in the synchronized diving competition for 3-meter springboard. She went to London with her partner Abby Johnston and they ended up placing 2nd, bringing home a silver medal-the first American medal in synchro diving and also the first diving medal won by the US in 12 years.