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Update -- March 30, 2009

 

Dear Divers, Parents, and Supporters,  

March was a great month, and the weather has gotten better!  Hopefully April continues that trend and we'll have a very warm month of training.
Highlights from March (New dives, Regional Championships and Maui Diving Invite) and the April Schedule follow.

Regional Championships 

Our team of seven (plus one) did very well at the Regional Championships in Mission Viejo March 7-8.  Everybody had at least one good event, and everyone had some very nice dives.

Our 14-15 team of Linnet and Joanna represented.  Linnet did her full 1M list, and nailed her inwards (both vol and optional) and her back twister.  She also had a great top on her 104C and 5122D, and just needs to get confidence in her entry mechanics.  Many coaches commented on her form -- now we just need to get the OOMPH!  Joanna showed her competitive chops by earning a medal on 3M and a near-miss to the national level on 1M, where she nailed seven of her eight dives for at least one 6.  Her return to the "normal" hurdle served her well, even if she did not want to make the change :)  She also nailed her inwards, especially on 3M.  Her 403C 1M is the dive that "cost" her nationals.  But hopefully, she sees the potential, and how she needs to work to achieve it!

The Boys 16-18 duo of Kai and BJ also dived well, with each of the guys bringing home medals in their events.  BJ did a remarkable job, considering he only had been diving for one month prior to the meet after nearly a year off.  He hit his inwards for 6-6.5s, and was 5-6s on everything else, save his 5132D, which earned 4.5s.  Many coaches noted his good spotting and line-up skills.  Kai did a solid job on 1M, hitting all his vols and highlighted by a GREAT 105C and a really good 5225D :)  On 3M, he did solid vols again (with a hiccup on his 301B) and stepped it up on his 105B, did his debut 405C, and nailed his newly re-learned 5233D for 6s.  With commitment and training, he could be a major player in the sport.

Our 16-18 girls also did a nice job.  Ashley hit 3 her 103B, 401B, 201B and 104C 1M for 5.5-6s and did a BEEYOOTIFUL 403C for 6.5-7.5s (her best scoring dive ever at the Regional level).  On 3M, she had a solid 103B for 5s, GREAT 403B and 301B for 5.5-6s, and some solid tops on her optionals.  Our "plus one," Maria, also hit her 103B, 401B, 201B, 104C and 403C 1M for 5-5.5s, and nailed her 301B for 6s (which woulda moved her from 4th to 2nd at the HS State meet ;).  Madison did an really solid job on her 103B, 201B, 301B, 401B, and 5122D 1M, with her usual nice form and a better sense of vertical jumps and lineups than typical.  She also stepped it UP on her 403C and 203C, really showing the "oomph" it takes to go far in this sport.  Her 301B 3M was her highlight of that event, with some nicely done, but "little" optionals that didn't quite show that "oomph." Alena showed a lot of good potential on her 1M dives, with better boardwork and tops than she has shown in a long time, especially on her 201B, 403C, and 203C...she just needs to train that way so her entries are more consistent, 'cuz they are the part of her dives that cost her.

Overall, we came away with 4 medals, a near-miss to Nationals, and lots of valuable experience --  a very successful outing!
 

Maui Diving Invitational 

Thanks to the SuperFerry's suspension of trips, TLDT only sent two divers to the Maui Invite: Coach Jeff and BJ.

Due to a lack of training, especially on 1M, Coach Jeff decided to just "match" his competitor Bill's list and do all the same dives he did, which meant doing some rarely trained dives (201A, 301A, 5111A, 104B, 203C and 105B).  Bill added the 105B thinking that Jeff would fail it, which it seemed he might do based on three failed attempts during the warm-up.  But in the meet, Jeff pulled out 5.5-6s and took the event by 12 points.  It was so much fun, he decided to do the same thing 3M, and had to quickly add 201A, 301A, 5111A, 203A, and 5235D to his list.  The 201A, 5111A and 203A were so-so, but the 301A was outstanding and the 5235D surprisingly good.

BJ was bored with the long lines and inattentive youngsters on 1M, so he came to 3M to warrm-up, and then decided to dive up there as well :)  On 1M, he nailed his 301B and 303C for 6-6.5s, and hit his 401B for 7s.  On 3M he nailed his 103B, 105B, and especially his 403B, which earned 7-7.5s.  His 5132D took on a mind of its own, and he ended up earning 0.5s...we need to get this team to be twister-enhanced, instead of twister-impaired :(.

APRIL WORKOUT SCHEDULE

Thursday, April 2, Schofield, 3:30-6 PM

Saturday, April 4, Schofield, Noon-2 PM

Sunday, April 5, Schofield, Noon-2 PM

Tuesday, April 7, Schofield, 3:30-6 PM

Thursday, April 9, Schofield, 3:30-6 PM

Saturday, April 11, Schofield, Noon-2 PM

Sunday, April 12, Schofield, Noon-2 PM

Tuesday, April 14, Schofield, 3:30-6 PM

Thursday, April 16, Schofield, 3:30-6 PM

Saturday, April 18, Schofield, Noon-2 PM

Sunday, April 19, Schofield, Noon-2 PM

Tuesday, April 21, Schofield, 3:30-6 PM

Thursday, April 23, Schofield, 3:30-6 PM

Saturday, April 25, Schofield, Noon-2 PM

Sunday, April 26, Schofield, Noon-2 PM

Tuesday, April 28, Schofield, 3:30-6 PM

Thursday, April 30, Schofield, 3:30-6 PM


UPCOMING MEETS

The HDA Championships are May 17 -- we have a nice little training period before that, so we should be seeing some debuts of new dives :).

The Aloha State Games will be June 7.

Regionals is June 19-21, and it looks like, from the airfare research I've done, that we ought to be looking at Portland, bacause the San Diego facility gave up Regionals and it has been transferred to Albuquerque, NM.  Please let me know as soon as possible your plans regarding traveling to this meet, and if you have any helpful relations in the area that might keep costs down ;)

The Keo Nakama Invite has been set for June 27, so we can make plans for that meet as well.  It should serve as a good tune-up for the Zone Championships this summer.

The Zone Championships will also be held in Portland, July 9-12.  Please bear in mind again the summer travel schedule and make your plans now to be ready for making it to Zones!

ASL CORNER

Recently reinstated, as Coach Jeff's foster son, and TLDT diver  is deaf and will be a presence at many workouts and meets, this reference is here so you all can learn to communicate with our deaf community member: check out the ASL Corner,  do the lessons as you want to, ask me for help as you need.

 

Okies, That's all for now! 

 

Jeff

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