Think less,dive better

Standing at the edge of the board, there’s a moment when a diver is alone with his or her thoughts.

That is, until thought is dismissed as well.

"It’s just muscle memory," Amund Gismervik said of that instant before plunging into the pool. "I try not to think too much, just be loose and relaxed and ready physically.

"I’ve learned the hard way it’s not necessarily better to think more."

The dives ingrained through hours of practice by Gismervik and his fellow University of Hawaii divers made for rather repetitive medal ceremonies at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Swimming and Diving Championship last week in Los Angeles.

Gismervik asserted his dominance in the men’s competition in sweeping the 1-meter, 3-meter and platform titles to help UH to a third-place finish in the team standings.

Three Hawaii women’s divers — juniors Aimee Harrison and Lauren Hall and senior Genevieve Bradley — each claimed a gold and their contributions at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center combined with the UH swimmers’ performances at East Los Angeles College powered the Rainbow Wahine to their first MPSF team championship.

"It’s an interesting perspective, because diving’s an individual sport," Harrison said. "So to be part of a team experience and to be doing something for people other than yourself, it’s definitely different than what we’re used to and it’s really fun. It makes it a more fulfilling experience."

Harrison repeated as the MPSF 1-meter champion, finished runner-up in the other two events and was named the women’s Diver of the Meet for the third consecutive year. Hall defended her title in the 3-meter in her comeback from an ankle injury and Bradley won the platform five years after joining the program with no experience in the event.

"Everybody’s been working hard and they’re showing a lot more maturity now," said Mike Brown, who has shared coaching duties with Anita Rossing for the past 15 years. "Aimee and Lauren were good when they came in as freshmen … but they’re that much older now and a little more meet savvy so it’s fun to see them perform."

The conference titles secure, the women’s trio will be joined by freshman Monica Gavaris, as well as Gismervik and Eric Klassen representing the UH men, at the NCAA Zone E Diving Championships starting March 9 in Colorado Springs, Colo. The zone meet will be the lone opportunity for divers to qualify for the NCAA championships set for March 19-21 in North Carolina.

"It’s very stressful just because I feel like zones kind of sums your whole season," Hall said. "Because you can do really well the entire season, but if you have one bad meet at zones then that’s it for you. If you have a good day, it’s really good, and if you have a bad day that’s really unfortunate."

Harrison made it to the NCAA championships as a freshman and was an alternate last year while Hall qualified for her first NCAA meet. Given the depth of the roster, working and competing together in practices and meets "just raises the bar so much," Harrison said, "because it’s a friendly thing and I enjoy it a lot, I think it’s fun and it’s a good environment."

Gismervik is also looking to return to the NCAAs after earning All-America honors with a bronze on platform last year.

"I’m more concerned about diving well," he said. "If I get a medal that’s awesome, but as long as I dive to my ability I’ll be happy about that."

The gratification with their MPSF performances intensified in the wake of a report to the Board of Regents committee that mentioned swimming and diving among hypothetical "options" for cutting sports as the athletic department deals with a mounting budget deficit.

After an anxious day, team members were more at ease after the committee voiced little interest in eliminating programs. They entered the pool with added motivation.

"It was more encouragement for us to do better, to show what we really meant to the athletic department," said Bradley, who attended the BOR committee meeting. In the end "we really did pull out all of our best swims and all of our best dives."

Hawaii’s MPSF Diving Champions

Men

Amund Gismervik

Class: Junior

Hometown: Stavanger, Norway

MPSF golds: 1 meter, 3 meter, platform (2015), 3-meter, platform (2014).

Quick Fact: A member of Norway’s Olympic team at the 2012 London Games.

Women

Genevieve Bradley

Class: Senior

Hometown: Steamboat Springs, Colo.

MPSF Gold: Platform (2015).

Quick Fact: President of the Manoa Maniacs

Lauren Hall

Class: Junior

Hometown: John’s Creek, Ga.

MPSF golds: 3 meter (2014, 2015), 1 meter (2013).

Quick Fact: Won high school state championships in diving, track and volleyball

Aimee Harrison

Class: Junior

Hometown: Winnipeg, Canada

MPSF golds: 1 meter (2014, 2015), 3 meter (2013), platform (2013, 2014).

Quick Fact: Three time MPSF championship Diver of the Meet