NCAA 3m. Finals
March 16, 2008 at 5:40 am | Doria | Uncategorized |
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I put it all on the boards last night. I literally threw every dive without fear and with everything that I had. Unfortunately, freak accidents happen. I was on track to winning the meet and breaking the National record until my knees buckled during my fourth dive. From a stand, without a jump, I had to throw a reverse 2.5 somersault-nearly impossible. I threw as hard as could and waited and waited until the dive came around, trying to salvage anything I had left. I got 3.5’s on the dive. It would have taken 5.5’s and 6’s to win the meet.
These things happen. I didn’t do anything wrong. My knees just gave at the bottom of my press. The same thing that happened and caused me to hit the board. The weird thing, though, is that I am okay with it. I’m okay with how everything came out, because I held nothing back.
I ended up fourth in the meet. It was the closest meet the NCAA has ever seen in diving and I can tell you, it was truly amazing. Kendall won the meet and broke the national record. She was named Diver of the Year and our coach, Brad, was named Coach of the Year. As I saw them standing on the podium, I was a mixed state of proud and utterly dissappointed. The selfish part of me wanted to be up there with Brad and the teammate in me was so proud of Kendall. She had a fantastic meet and she deserved that recognition.
So fourth it is. I’m an 8 time All American and that certainly isn’t anything to be ashamed of. My lowest finish at the NCAA’s has been fourth and I have had the honor of being a champion twice. All of those things, I will never forget!
The News Office blog is currently featuring reports from MIT senior Doria Holbrook, above, who is chronicling her attempt to qualify for the U.S. Olympic diving trials in June.