SAGEBRUSH DIVING TEAM PAGE

   Coach Kev (E-mail)    303.949.8331

Updated: 6/24/10

2010 WEEKLY UPDATES AND TEAM NEWS

4/20/10:     Welcome Back, SAGEBRUSH DIVING!!!  After a couple years as Coach Kev pursued a silly college coaching career, Sagebrush Diving reopens and will slowly but surely climb back to being one of the top club teams in the U.S.  Stay tuned!!

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11/21/07:  Sagebrush Diving Invite 2007

Our annual meet meet continues to grow, this year with 5 States represented (CO, WY, NM, NE, and UT) and our team is beginning to elevate our quality indicators.  Using the same equation for measuring quality, we did the same analysis as in 2005, except this time, we factored out the "sending only our top one or two athletes" phenomena.  The results speak for themselves.

* Athletes were defending SDI 2006 3M Champions.

More good news... our average went up significantly, allowing our total score as a team remain virtually the same with five less athletes than in 2005.  And, we had a handful of divers missing, including 3 competitive team members (Raleigh Williams*, Erin Lionberger*, and Kati Spillane).  The scary thing is... the average diving age of our divers (the number of months of training) is extremely low.  Each month, we add a diver or two to the mix, and the team culture right now is healthy, to say the least.  I know I am speaking for Coach John when I say, things are getting pretty exciting at Meyers Pool.  We had 7 All-Time Top Ten performances for the Sagebrush Diving Invite, and some very good diving lists considering we are so early in the season.  Please read our diver reports below:

Kyndal Kuhn (9u & 13u 1M/3M) set the All-Time Record for 9-under 1-meter, and she hasn't even touched 3M with regard to progressions.  Her score of 114.85 ties her for 5th All-time in the 11-under age group, and she isn't even in that age group yet.  Bright future, and when she begins her 3M progressions (happening as we speak), she's going to be a force...  She placed 2nd in the Novice 3M event, and even placed 2nd in the Novice 13u group!  Wow!!  Go Kyndal!!!

Jenna White (9u 1M/3M) dove in her first meet ever in Novice 1-meter.  She used a strong back jump straight to win the event, and with very little experience, she completed all her dives on 3M.  Keep up the great work, Jenna!!!

Erin Moriarty (9u 1M/3M) continued to improve, diving in both the 1M and 3M Novice events.  If it weren't for her teammate (Jenna), she would have won the 1M event.  Nice job, E-MO!!!

Giulia Scoma (11u 1M/3M) is beginning to show some spunk.  Her 002d on 3M was her best scoring dive, which was a HUGE win for her personally.  She smoked her first two dives on 1-meter and with a little more progress on the rest of her dives, she's going to be a tough one to compete with.  Go Giulia!!!

Olivia Ellis (11u & 13u 1M/3M) is working so very hard, and it is paying off.  She just joined the competitive team, and is only beginning to see her potential.  Her 301c on 1M and her 401c on 3M were by far her best dives in the 11u, her 301c was her best dive on 3M in the 13u group, and I believe all her dives are going to continually improve.  Why?  She is keeping very consistent with her training, and she is beginning to develop bigger dives.  And, when it is time... she pulls the trigger!!!  I can't wait to see what the future holds for her.  She is able to compete in two age groups, which is a tribute to her courage for only diving for a short time.  GO, Oh-EEEE!!!

Katie Russ (11u & 13u 1M/3M) has more diving experience than anyone else in our young group, and it shows.  She hit a 201c in the meet that I think is the best she has ever kicked.  It was yummy.  Like Olivia, she just joined our competitive group and is able to compete in two different age groups.  That ability will lead to big results in the near future in the 11u age group and beyond.  Way to go, Schmooo!!!

Alex Hafey (11u 1M only) has been blessed with some serious talent, and we only hope that she will continue to learn and compete and have fun.  Her Runnerup finish on 1-meter was solid and will continue to improve.  Let's go, Alex!!!

Kayla Lee Lucas (15u 1M/3M) was fantastic in her first meet ever.  Proud of her for trying to get a 5221d on 3M... we have been working on building up a 5231d for 3M, but just ran out of time.  When presented with the possibility of doing the 5221d on 3M, she took on the challenge.  Just missed, but you never fail when you try.  She will get VERY good VERY soon.  Believe us... Go Kay-LA-LEE-LU!!!

Andrea Redling (15u 1M/3M) was also fantastic in her first meet ever.  Proud of her for stepping up with the 5221d on 3M, like Kayla.  She has a bright future as well.  Started diving in the Summer of 2007, and is now on the competitive team and will be working aggressively to build her progressions.  Go get em, Andrea.

Tiffany Maple (15u 1M/3M) had a pretty good meet, but like her HS teammate, is having a tough time with the first couple weeks of HS season.  Despite a nearly failed 303c on 1M, and a little wildness on her 5132d on 3M, she won 3M and was 3rd on 1M.  If she would have landed her 303c like usual, she easily would have won.  Keep working hard, Tiff!!!

Kim Anderson (18u 1M/3M) had a really good meet.  Yes, she missed a few dives compared to what we have seen, but her potential is growing by the month.  Her voluntary list has improved nearly 150% since she started with us, and is just now starting to build up her optional list again.  She is very exciting to watch train.  She gets on the diving board every chance she gets, and is always working at 110%.  Keep pushing it, Kim!!!

Annie Rhoades (18u 1M/3M) was excited about the challenge we gave her in competing at Sagebrush Diving Invite with only her 9.0 and 9.5 list, and she could only throw 1 optional on each board.  She met the challenge by improving her standing in the All-Time Top Ten List (she will leave HS with a 6th place All-Time on 3M. 

Cody Engstrom (13u 1M/3M) had a pretty good list on 1M, but we were more excited about his 3M list.  Did he NAIL his dives?  No way... but he decided he was going to throw some pretty big dives (bigger than he is ready for), which is a first for him, and he got them all in.  He is beginning to make some significant changes to his boardwork and form, and when we get on the other side of these changes, he's going to be brilliant.  It is clear that his skills in the air are advanced.  Watch out... here he comes!!!  Go Cody!!!

Jesse Castro (18u 1M/3M) is perhaps one of the more talented divers coming in than I have ever seen.  Disregard how he placed in his two events... I (Coach Kev) have intentionally held him back to learn some important basics before he begins competing the big dives.  On top of that, he was sick as a dog on Saturday... My only complaint... uh... where was this guy 4-5 years ago?  Way to go, Jesse.

Bill Keating (A+ 1M/3M) has made more progress than just about anyone on the team.  He finally had a meet that shows his capacity.  The last couple meets, I believe, were not true indications to his progress, but this year's Sagebrush Diving Invite brought the best out in him.  While all of his dives have opportunities for improvement, it HAS to feel good that he put two good lists together in a meet.  He brings so much to the team, including work ethic, drive, and a positive environment with the young-uns!  He continually strives for the next big dive, while paying attention to detail.  The only complaint I have is that his boss works him to death!!!  (He's the owner of one of the top commercial plumbing businesses in Arvada, Keating Pipeworks, check em out).  Go, B-OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHH!

John Conyers (A+ 1M/3M) is something else.  We watched video of this meet on Tuesday of the week after the meet, and his mechanics have improved SO much after being out of college for a couple years.  He is so much smarter in the air, and he dives with passion.  He loves to fly.  That's why we love him so much, and everyone loves to be coached by him.  Great job, Coach John!!!

Coach Kev (A+ 1M/3M) is the proudest meet director and coach around.  Way to go, TEAM!!!  

11/28/05:  Sagebrush Diving Invite 2005

This was by far the biggest version of Sagebrush Diving Invite ever, and it was such an honor to have the meet run ahead of schedule (with the exception of the first two events, which were due to us running an EZMeet meet, and I wasn't quite ready for all of the on-deck... and subsequent on-the-board changes in dive lists).  I am proud of our team... we had significantly fewer divers attend this year's SDI as a team, but our scoring average per diver went up... which I suggest is another measureable improvement to the quality of divers that this team is supported by.  All divers did a fantastic job.  I will continually update this page with highlights of everyone's diving at this meet, as well as post highlights of the TOPS High Point meet.  Below are the quality measures that I checked out, showing the Team, the number of divers affiliated, total points earned by the team, and the average team points scored per diver.  I have been using this quality assurance measure to indicate how we stack up against other teams for the past couple of years, only because I know that we cannot compete with the team(s) that have multiple facilities, but I always feel good knowing that our divers do so well using the average team points per diver indicators.  Just a reminder, Mile High won the meet hands down, as team championships are won by the Total Team Points.  This is just the easiest way to factor in quality.  

8/08/05:  Starting this week, GOAL SETTING.  Coach Kev will be handing out goal sheets for the upcoming couple of years of training.  This will include every diver in our program, even beginners.  It will include short-term and long-term goals for diving, academics, and a few other things.  Part of this goal setting (which will be very individual and personal) will include our team theme for 2005/2006.  Two years ago it was "Close the Gap," and last season, it was "BE THE BEST."  I (Coach Kev) have a couple of great ideas that I will be bouncing off the divers and a couple of the parents.  But alot of this will be determined by the goal sheets that I get back from the individual divers.  

5/31/05:  Haven't updated this page like I know I should.  Throughout the Summer, 2005, watch for more updates.  Here's the skinny on the RMDA Championships 2005.  While nobody can argue who the biggest team was at the meet, the BEST can be debated.  Looking strictly at the average number of team points per diver, which is a great indicator of who the BEST is, check out the results at this recent meet:  

25.4 pts per diver:  SAGEBRUSH DIVING

18.7 pts per diver:  ALTITUDE DIVING (formerly Phenomena Diving)

15.6 pts per diver:  MILE HIGH DIVE CLUB (the team champ)

15.2 pts per diver:  LOVELAND BOARDWORKS

13.6 pts per diver:  NORCO DIVING

12.4 pts per diver:  FORT COLLINS DIVING CLUB

  7.5 pts per diver:  BRIGHTON DIVING

  4.6 pts per diver:  ESTES PARK DIVING

Obviously, Mile High Dive Club should be congratulated for having such a large team, but I think our team should feel VERY good about what we accomplished.  Everybody did great at the meet.  I am very proud of where we are headed.  Sure wish we had as many facilities and coaches as MHDC, but maybe I don't wish that, either.   Keep up the great work, Sagebrush Diving.

05/02/05:  West Nationals was a blast, and our team placed higher than ever at 18th at West Nationals.  We had 6 divers qualified for the meet.  

TOPS High Point 2004

TEAM Results (Not available in this meet format):

Hilltoppers:  11 High Point Finalists (top 6 JO), 1 Champion (Hailey Grandchamp), and no Runnerups.

Mile High:  10 High Point Finalists, 2 Champions (Doogie Cohen and Aaron Feight), and no Runnerups.

Loveland Boardworks:  4 High Point Finalists, ALL 4 were Runnerups (Kayla Bryant, Travis Hartman, Jamie Bristol, and Greg Conway).

Fort Collins:  2 Novice High Point Champs.

Phenomena:  5 High Point Finalists, 1 Champion (Beth Ambrozic), and 1 Runnerup (Tim Fennelly).

Sagebrush:  11 High Point Finalists (including Kenny, who trains with us), 4 Champions (Cody, Niko, Andrea, and Meili) and 3 Runnerups (Caleigh, Kylie and Cassidy).

12/07/04:  TOPS High Point 2004 updates.  I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of these Sagebrush Divers... going into a relatively foreign pool.  The difference between this year and last year's meet... we didn't have to stay up all night the night before doing a Flip-A-Thon like in 2003.  The results showed it.  Here's the rundown on each diver:

Cody Engstrom (11-under Boys High Point Champion):  Unstoppable.  Started a little soft on 3M, but then turned it up and went on to win both boards.  Great job Cody.

Nick "Niko" Siegler (13-under Boys High Point Champion):  Unstoppable.  Scored the highest of all the Sagebrush Divers on 3M for the day, while he was the 3rd best overall on 3M, and 5th best overall for High Point scores.  Amazing kid, and he has a few new tricks up his sleeve that he hasn't used yet.

Meili Carpenter (16-18 Girls High Point Champion):  She was almost stoppable, with one less foot than the rest of the competition.  Her foot has a serious case of tendonitis from years in gymnastics, and she saved her worst foot day for the TOPS High Point meet.  Unfortunately for everyone else, her other foot was fine.  

Kylie Sellers (16-18 Girls High Point Runnerup, behind only Meili):  Makes me feel good that Kylie won 1M, beating arguably the best 1-meter female diver in the State in the process.  Kylie doesn't turn 16 until February, so we have been aging her up here and there (Nebraska and now the TOPS High Point).  She only missed winning by 5 points, against the only girl in Colorado to final on both boards at Senior PreQuals last Summer.  I'd say that was a good day at the pool.

Andrea Rhea (14/15 Girls High Point Champion):  Solid wins on both boards made the High Point relatively easy for Andrea.  Very solid list of dives, and her DD made the difference.  Almost went skiing instead of diving.  I am glad she chose diving, but I think alot of others might have preferred her to go (all the 14/15 girls).  

Cassidy Lynch (16-18 Boys High Point Runnerup, behind USA Diving National Team 1-meter diver Aaron Feight):  Cassidy almost won this event on a horrible day for him, and we are all excited about that.  Cassidy hit the 3-meter on a 301b (dumb board got in the way), so he lost more than 20 points just on that one dive.  Of course, his next two dives (both reverses, 305c and 5335d) were a little shaky because of that, so we are not unhappy at all with placing second.  He has much better days ahead of him, and it was an honor to be able to dive against those three divers, Feight (who had an off-day), Austin Barrand (who surprised everyone with 205b, how cool!), and Hunter Helmstaedter (who started on fire on 3-meter).  

Erin Lionberger (14/15 Girls High Point 3rd Place):  Literally, Erin was a twister away from placing second.  Her 5132d failed on 3M, but her list (even with a failed dive) left her in a solid 3rd place.  Once this gal learns to twist, she's going to be unstoppable.  She's going to be tough to beat regardless.

Michael Waterman (16-18 Boys High Point 6th Place):  Continuous Improvement is a great business cliche used where I used to work full-time, and I hated that saying... now I am beginning to warmup to it again.  Michael continues to make small improvements to each of his dives, and before you know it, with a little extra DD, he'll be right up there with the best in his age group.  My only complaint, Where were you 5 years ago, Michael?

Sara Malang (13-under Girls High Point 5th Place):  All I can say is if two of her warmup dives would have gone that way in the meet, she'd been Runnerup "SNAP" just like that.  She finished in a virtual three-way tie for fourth place, and was only 20 points back from Runnerup.  Don't worry, she will be adding her first DD on both boards soon.  She has the heart for training, and I can imagine how she will look in one month of hard training.

Caleigh Stockebrand (11-under Girls High Point Runnerup):  Caleigh was SOOOOOO cute, and SOOOOOO COLD!  I warned her that this pool is windy and cold, but she handled it nonetheless.  What a great little gal, and she's got a great future in diving.  She loves the water, and this was her first meet ever.  Way to go Caleigh.

Kyle Santarelli and Danny Losasso (14/15 Novice Boys 1st and 2nd):  These guys are WAY up on my list of most improved.  A month ago, I was thinking about suggesting badminton or bowling (no offense intended to those sports), but they just weren't learning diving very fast.  Now, they'll try just about anything, AND their mechanics aren't all that bad, either.  I'm impressed, and am definitely in their corner.

11/15/04:  It has finally happened.  Sagebrush Diving Invite TEAM CHAMPIONS...  We finally won this meet.  The Sagebrush Diving Invite 2004 is in the books and Sagebrush Diving won as a team with 10 of 15 individual junior titles (3 were All-Time records), and 2 novice titles.  The writing was on the wall (see 7/06/04 update below).  We have been showing consistent and significant improvement as a team, and each diver has seen the same thing.  I simply will talk about each of the kids that dove in the Sagebrush Diving Invite 2004 in Age Group order starting with our amazing 9-under divers, but let me just say, I am proud of everyone on the team.  Amazing job winning this meet... and we were without a handful of our most promising divers, including Allie Meisner (2003 West National Qualifier), Nick Halbach, Alyssa Dukehart-Conti, Madeline Karlson (in the 13-under event, she's so new, she did 2 dives, thought she was done, and left), Sara Malang on 3M (soccer tourney), 

Chase Huettl:    This guy absolutely loves to dive... and get in trouble.  Almost every practice, he has to sit out for something, but he is learning and loves it, and that's all we care about.  Nice job on 1M, Chase.

Nicole Huettl:   She gets in a lot less trouble compared to Chase, and has nerves of steel for a girl her age.  Another gal who loves to dive.  Great job on 1M, Nicole.

Katherine Bernal:  This gal loves a dare.  Once I dared her to do a front fall-in after she told me that she'd never do it... next thing I know it, she's up there doing it just to spite me.  I love it.  Great job on 1M, Katherine.

Cody Engstrom:  Dominated 11-under, and he's only 10.  I honestly don't know when and if we will find this kid's potential.... each day, I see new potential.  All I can say is, Bryce better be glad that he will have served his mission and finished his 4 years at BYU by the time Cody even thinks about a college.  hehehe.  Diving for one year now, he is climbing toward divers he never thought about competing against before, and who knows where he will be in one more year.  

Madeline Karlson:  Like Cody, I wonder if I will ever stop being amazed by this gal.  She has a beautiful back dive tuck (201c), and her 202c (back 1 ss tuck) is landing on her buttocks, so you know where that dive is going (can anyone say back 1 1/2 ss tuck?).  The difference... she's only been diving a couple months, but you'd never know it.  This gal has a huge up-side.

Hannah Free:  Dove for one week before diving in Sagebrush Invite this year, and she placed 3rd on 1M.  I think she has found her sport!!!  This gal probably smiles in her sleep.

Annie Robinson:  Every time she looks at us (talking about smiles), we want to hug her.  She is so friendly, and is loving jumping on the boards and doing lineups.  Keep it up, Annie.

Sarah Malang, Raleigh Williams, and Robin Betz:  You'll probably notice that three girls are listed.  I simply have to talk about them together.  All three have been diving for only a couple months, and their progressions are precise, strong, and refined.  I hate to predict anything, but as a group, they could have a historical impact on our sport.  They are sweet, happy, and they hate to make mistakes.  And they don't even have any DD dives yet (104c, 203c, 303c, 403c, 5132d, 5223d, 5124d).  When they do get some DD, I hope our coaches can keep up with them.

Nick "Niko" Siegler:  While he doesn't like alot of attention, you can't help but shake your head every time he dives.  His dive mechanics are unmatched, and he is only now beginning to rip his entries.  He is a great kid, getting really good grades now, and for a 12-year-old, he is beginning to mature beyond his years (unless he is on his skateboard, then his brain takes a dive).  Dove in this meet after taking a week off diving from a nasty and annoying ear infection (took two different antibiotics to nail it).  He'll be healthy at TOPS High Point.

Cody Engstrom:  Yeah, I mentioned him before.  He dove 13-under as well.  Snuck up on a couple kids that probably didn't see him coming.  He loves diving, and each day, I see him get more and more comfortable with his diving progressions.  That's bad news... for the competition.

Kyle Santarelli, Danny Losasso, and Cody Bear:  Y'know, to be honest, Cody is only 13.  I made a mistake in putting his dive sheets in the 14/15 group.  Sorry, Cody.  But, 2nd on 3M is pretty good.  These three divers are only a couple months into the sport, and will be diving in the Spring for their high schools as freshmen.  Hilarious kids, and they make our jobs as coaches so much more fun.  Give em a year, and I think they will be fine Junior level divers, and great high school divers.

Brandi Gonzales:  Has been diving off and on over the past couple years.  Recently battling a knee injury, but is getting better by the day.  Way too much personality!!!  She could be a pretty good diver in the future... watch out for her.

Kylie Sellers, Erin Lionberger, and Andrea Rhea:  These three... I tell ya.  I have no idea who is going to "show up" to a meet, but they are all at or near the top of their age group, even on bad days.  Any given day, each of them could be dominant.  All three have dive lists that will get them to Nationals right now, and they have so much more to improve on.  Very exciting group.

Sydney Jacus and Lacy Bishop:  Two divers from Boulder that seem to love what they do, practice hard, and I believe can achieve whatever they set their minds to do.  Both are very happy, smiley, and sinister in their own ways.  Watch out for them.  Trouble!

Cassidy Lynch:  What can I say that hasn't been said.  His progress in this sport has been nothing short of unbelievable.  Just two years, and he's challenging the top dogs.  He has an amazing list for a Senior diver, let alone a Junior.  Comparing what he has been doing since we started back up in September to his Summer 2004 diving, his list is probably 40 points better on 1M, and 80 points better on 3M since we started back in September.  He has already visited Minnesota, and he visits Buffalo (Karla Helder, one of my good buds) this week.  He has been asked to visit Indiana, Texas, and many other schools.  I hate to make guarantees, but knowing the schools that have interest in him, he is going to have an amazing college career wherever he goes, and that makes me (and his parents) very happy that he found the sport of diving before it was too late.  Keep doing what you are doing, Cass.

Jerry Molsberry:  I tell ya, we had a mock meet on Thursday, and if Jerry would have simply competed that same list, he would have been in the mix for second place.  I am very happy for him, but will be much happier when he starts practicing 4-5 days per week and simply digs in at practice.  He has as much ripping potential as anyone in the State.  Time (and practice attitude) will tell where his next 6 months will take him... I believe we will see a huge improvement between this meet and the TOPS High Point.  

Michael Waterman:  Michael was in a group that was amazing, and he actually dove really well, but his DD (or lack thereof) was revealed.  I am simply awed by his scores (155.6 on 1M, 152.4 on 3M).  Very good for his practice time right now (marching band just finished a couple weeks ago, so he hasn't been practicing very much).  He will improve in the next month.  Watch what happens.

Alyss Filer:  Not that far from 2nd place on 3M (3rd by 15 points).  For almost three months of diving, she's going to give people fits.  She is a definite ripper (tied for 2nd in the RIP contest).  She is strong.  And, she turns alot of heads in our Sagebrush practices.  She has no idea how good she is, nor how good she is going to become.  I know, and that gives me POWER!!!  hehehe  She knows only one thing, and that is how to work hard.  If you do the math, add a year or two of experience to someone that has her work ethic... It is going to be ugly.

Shauna Neely, Katy Gately, and Kristin Wilson:  Talking about personality... these three are hilarious.  Scored big points on 1M and 3M for us, but their potential is only limited by their willingness to pull triggers on dives that they are ready for.  All three could win the RIP Contest on any given day (Katy won this year, which is good cause she is a senior at Broomfield who dives in our lessons program).  All three have the potential to be on the competitive team, but beyond the competitive side of diving, they are so much fun to coach.

Theme for the 2003/2004 season:  "Close the Gap!!!"

7/06/04:  Ladies and gentlemen... I am here to tell you that the Gap is almost closed, and so our goals need to change as a team.  That's right... An updated table is presented below, and the Gap has pretty much closed.  Congratulations to all the divers that took part, and we are so very excited about this team's future.  Our team loses some very talented divers to graduation (Bryce Engstrom, Amber Utesch, Hannah Feuerstein, and Ben Raznick), but if anyone is paying attention, we have ONE senior next season (Cassidy Lynch).  We're young, and last time I checked, the team is hungry for more challenges.  Stay tuned... Sagebrush Diving is getting hot.

Some individual updates.  Cody Engstrom (11U and 13U) and Nick Siegler (13U) led the way in scoring points for the team.  Nick won his third Regional crown, and Cody almost pulled the upset in that very event, eventually finishing 3rd.  Both have shown constant improvement after being the only two divers to score points at West Nationals in San Antonio earlier in the year.  Then, the newcomers to the team, Nicholas Halbach, Terry O'Neil, and Evan Kaverman, all 15U boys.  Nicholas scored a point for the team in the 3M event, finishing 12th, but since then, his diving has gone through the roof.  And, while Terry and Evan didn't score any team points, they have a new picture of what REAL diving is, and I will bet they will improve considerably as a result of competing in this meet.  Cassidy Lynch gained some much deserved redemption on 1M by easily qualifying on to West Championships, and also qualified on 3M (but not without a few dramatics, with his last dive ALMOST failing).  Never fear, 8th place works just fine.  I was also impressed with Jerry Molsberry and Michael Waterman.  Jerry's quantitative improvement is obvious, but the quality is beginning to impress, eliciting comments from some of the other team's coaches ("wow, he's getting better and better...").  Michael, all I can say is watch out.  He might never win a regional meet, but he is getting the work done, and now that he is on the competitive team, I believe things are going to move fast.  And while we had no "under 13" girls, the 14 and overs did a great job.  Congratulations to the break out performances of Kylie Sellers, Erin Lionberger, and Meili Carpenter (I'm not forgetting you, Sydney, Allie, Tessa, Shauna, and Amber... more about them in a sec).  Kylie won 3M.  Nuff said about that.  She also qualified to West Championships on both boards, which in this meet is quite an achievement.  Erin nearly won 1M, but her last dive (302c with no DD) took it away from her.  Watch out for a little better performance at West Championships.  Then there was Meili, who finished 5th on 3M, and nearly qualified on 1M as well (less than 3 points away).  She dove admirably, never really missed anything, but has much better diving ahead (as noticed at Senior Zones in Tucson).  Back to our other gals... Allie Meisner is staring at surgery, and will be taking a break soon to recover.  In the interim, she can still dive with the best of the 15U girls... finishing 23rd in 1M, and 22nd on 3M.  On the other side of this surgery, she'll be someone to deal with.  Sydney Jacus, diving in her second regional meet, beat more than a handful of divers (since Spring Regionals, she has improved just about 25% in her score).  Only 7 points behind, Tessa Clarkson was diving in her first regional meet, and beat two divers.  She's got a future.  Finally, our buddy Amber.  Amber hasn't been diving all that much, and only a couple days before regionals did she decide to dive in the meet.  With little to no practice beforehand, she was only 8 points or so away from her future teammate at CSU (Karin Knudson, FCDC), and even finished higher than a freshman that dives for the University of Nebraska (Danielle Stansbury).  I believe she will be turning the heat up at CSU.  Finally, there is Shauna.  I can't say enough about her.  She is only a couple dives away from being a very strong diver in the 18U age group.  Just a few more dives on 3M, and more experience, and a little more guts, and she's dangerous.

3/09/04:  Our theme is being realized.  The gap is definitely closing in Colorado, and the future is looking bright.  I am so excited for our team.  Individual wrap-ups are below, but first, here's a look at Regional head-to-head competitions between Sagebrush Diving and the No. 1 team in the Region, Mile High Dive Club:

First, let me talk about the divers in their events that they did NOT qualify for Nationals, as there were some incredible things that happened and give me goosebumps thinking about the potential for our team.  First, there was Allie Meisner on 3M (she qualified on 1M to West Nationals).  She completely missed her 101b to start the 3M  competition, which threw her for the rest of her list... but she has only been diving for 4-5 months, and is diving on a completely ruptured ACL (which she sustained as a result of a gymnastics-ending trick in a gymnastics meet, and she's awaiting surgery probably in the Summer of 2004 to repair it).  No doubt her future (once she can actually JUMP) is BRIGHT.  Then there was Erin Lionberger.  She had a few pretty cool dives (201c on 3M received a 7) and a couple stinkers (103b on 1M, 5132d on 1M and 3M, 5221d on 3M), but the great thing about a bad weekend is the inspiraton and determination it creates.  She's a very competitive person by nature, and I wouldn't be surprised if she uses this as a motivator for the Summer season.  Then, Kylie Sellers, one of our newest and brightest stars.  The only part of her weekend that showed her potential was her last 4 dives (optionals on 3M), which is an indication to me that this regionals meet shook out all the first-timer jitters, and her next regional will have a VERY different result.  As time went on during the weekend, she became more herself. Watch out for these two 14/15 girls (Erin and Kylie).  I predict lotsa great things.  Also in the 14/15 age group were two other newcomers (Sydney Jacus and Alyssa Dukehart-Conti).  Both are on the developmental squad, giving regional competition a try.  I've seen it before... when divers try Junior Regionals for the first time, they aim for much higher goals.  I believe this will be the case.  Also in the 14/15 age group was Michael Waterman from the developmental group.  Again, placing isn't important... experience is.  He's going to gain more than he knows from that experience.  Great job to all our youngsters.  Now to the old folk, the 16-18 group.  I can't stop thinking about the potential of these guys and gals.  The fact that Cassidy didn't qualify for Nationals on 1M is history... he and Austin Barrand of MHDC (both did not qualify on 1M) won the warmups, which unfortunately, doesn't help.  Fortunately, Cass qualified with a pretty good day on 3M.  More on that later.  Then there was our Ben Raznick.  We all know what Ben's strength is (3M and platform), but he made quite a statement on Sunday, qualifying 5th on 1M to Nationals against a tough top 6 field of 16-18 boys.  Unfortunately, he didn't compete on 3M due to a piano competition on Saturday, in which he qualified in every event for the Colorado State Piano Competition.  I believe he would have been top 6 easily.  Amber Utesch just finished 3 months of focussing on 1M only, but decided to try competing a list of 3M dives without her 205c and 305c, and while she put most of her dives in, it was a competition on 3M that highlighted the top 10 with extensive USD resumes, including the 8th and 9th place divers who were former National qualifiers (did not qualify at this regional), a former World Cup Trials qualifier, and 4 divers who have finalled at Nationals before.  Tough crowd.  Basically, you not only had to have DD throughout your optional list, but you had to put every dive in to compete.  She did that, but didn't have the DD.  Meili Carpenter, on the other hand, had the DD, but had an equipment problem that kept her from qualifying.  Her optional list was 4th highest scoring out of the entire optionals section of the competition, and considering the company, that is quite an accomplishment.  However, her legs gave out on the start of her 5132d, leaving her dead in the air and she couldn't even make a 102c with that kind of start.  Her 5132d generally scores 5's to 6.5's, so that would have put her soundly in 5th, perhaps 4th.  No stress here... Meili knows that she is on her way... she's been diving with us since June 2003.  Now, on to the National Qualifiers:

Cody Engstrom:  Qualified on both 1M (2nd) and 3M (3rd).  Has been diving since September 2003.  The guy who won both boards (Roberto Ebersole) beat Niko two years ago at Region VIII championships, and has been diving for at least 3 years.  Not to worry, Cody.  Time will make a huge difference... just use Niko as an example.

Nick Siegler:  Qualified on both 1M and 3M (2nd on both boards behind Rylan Patel, who placed 3rd at West Nationals on both boards in 2003, as well as qualified for Summer Nationals 2003 on all 3 levels).  Just a benchmark... in 2002, Sagebrush Diving travelled to Region VIII for Summer competition.  Rylan placed 6th on 1M (250.55 pts) and 8th on 3M (255.85 pts).   Nick placed 14th on 1M (196.9 pts), and 18th on 3M (dead last with 152.45 pts).  Nick closed the gap from a total of 157.05 pts in 2002 down to 39.75 pts in 2004.  I'd say that was a great weekend, and a great two years of training for Niko!!!  Way to go, Niko.

Allie Meisner:  Too much to say about this gal, so little space.  Qualified on 1M with an incredible list of dives for someone so new to diving (since September).  She can't jump due to a completely ruptured ACL... just wait til she can jump.  Surgery is looming shortly after West Nationals, which she is very excited about.  Stay tuned...

Jerry Molsberry:  I have never been so proud of this guy.  He has made Nationals a couple times before, but I believe he is turning the corner on being a mainstay at Nationals.  Jerry had a rough time getting through his voluntaries, but nailed his optionals to get to San Antonio.  I can't wait to see what this performance will do to his training ethic...

Bryce Engstrom:  Bryce finished a strong 2nd on 3M, and nearly won 1M (had it not been for a mistake his coach made on his dive card, resulting in his 105b getting 2's, instead of the 6.5's and a 7 that were flashed by the judges).  I accidently listed a 105c on his dive card, and I forgot to change it.  This is a perfect way to finish up his Junior Diving career, as he turns 19 between West Nationals and the Summer season.  Congrats to Bryce....

Cassidy Lynch:  Had one of the best lists of his 3M career, nailing all of his reverses (his strength) and nailing all of his inwards (his weakness) to place 3rd.  Unfortunately, his reverses were his downfall on 1M (very unusual), but he was able to laugh it off to a bad day phenomena...  Great job Cass.

Ben Raznick:  Ben was the most consistent diver, which is his motto and calling card.  He performed several of his dives the best that I've ever seen, and it only excites me more for the coming months of training.  He was unable to compete on 3M due to an all-day piano competition that he qualified for State in all events that he competed.  Ben is also a multiple time National Finalist in Jump Rope.  One of those guys that you can say is successful in anything that he sets his mind to.

12/08/03:  TOPS High Point Meet was a success, considering that we were up half the night flipping and twisting, and we cannot thank Kimiko enough... thanks for your presence and support, Kimiko.  We know how lofty your goals are, and to take a trip to Colorado in the middle of the training cycle means alot.  Full results of the TOPS High Point 2003 can be found HERE.  Individual comments:

Overall TOPS HIGH POINT Sagebrush Highlights:  Almost all Sagebrush divers were up all night conducting a HUGE fundraiser to benefit George Meyers Pool and the North Jeffco Parks and Recreation District.  We knew that staying up all night was bittersweet, as doing so would increase our chances of having a new 3-meter stand delivered in time for the 2004 Region VI Championships, but it would also decrease our chances of having a good day at the Hilltopper High Point meet the very next morning.  Unfortunately, our biggest flippers (Cassidy and Bryce on the guys' side, and Meili on the girls' side) had one of those days... while they all landed in the top 6 (all Sagebrush competitive team members did), they dove so far below their ability that I was giving each of them the "Just-Remember-What-You-Did-Last-Night" speech early in the competition.  Despite what we had stacked against us, I am very proud how everybody did, and I was proud of our two developmental divers, as well (Miranda Mourray and Brandi Gonzales).  I love the format of this meet, as well.  If you don't do 3-meter, you don't even show up on the radar, which is so important for young divers to learn.

13-under Sagebrush Highlights:  Cody, Nicko (who dove up in 13-under), Allie, Brandi and Miranda.  Cody led the meet off with an overall win in the 11-under boys event.  His 203c on 1M was the highlight of the meet for me.  He learned it earlier in the week under the tutelage of our assistant coach (and his big bro), Bryce Engstrom.  Waytago Cody.  Then came Nicko Siegler (11), who dove up in the 13-under event.  He missed his last three dives of the competition, but the last two dives were the highlight to me.  He started his 404c so well, he had TOO MUCH left at the end, kicked out, saw he had plenty left, and then proceeded to EAT it (only earned 2's).  Awesome.  He then finished with a dive that he does so well, but had his confidence shaken just a couple weeks earlier by getting lost in it and smacking.  He lined it up a bit short in the meet (only getting 3's), but what a confidence boost it is for him to miss his optionals and still win the 3M and overall competition with a comfortable margin.  The girls were successful, too.  Allie Meisner dove JO in both 1M and 3M, and finished 4th overall.  Very impressive.  I have been raving about her "potential" ever since she started diving (a couple months ago), but I am now starting to see her shine.  She is going to be a great diver.  Brandi Gonzales and Miranda Mourray did great, as well.  

14-over Sagebrush Highlights:  Erin, Kylie, Meili (who dove up in the 16-18 age group), Jerry, Cassidy, and Bryce.  Erin Lionberger led off the 14/15 girls... while she didn't have anything new in her list, she used her talent to cover the bases and land 4th overall, and don't worry... she's workin' on some new stuff.  Kylie Sellers... two new dives since Sagebrush Diving Invite, and she's a contender, too.  She landed a new 203c on 1M, and a BRAND NEW 5231d on 3M, and snuck in at 5th overall.  Awesome.  Jerry Molsberry had a consistent list on 1M and is looking to improve on 3M... finished 4th overall, but I think he will be much better on both when March 2004 comes around.   Meili Carpenter, who has been diving club since June 2003, missed just about EVERYTHING (too many flips in the FlipAThon the night before and no sleep), and still finished 2nd overall.  Her future is bright.  Bryce and Cassidy are diving well, but due to their obsession with setting the Flip-A-Thon record for most flips in one hour (the night before), both were WAY off their game for the DU Meet.  Bryce still ended up 4th overall, and Cass was 6th.  Great job, dudes.  Amber and Ben sat out due to illness and injury, respectively.  

November 8, 2003, Sagebrush Diving Invite 2003:  Well, it's no longer a secret.  Our team is on its way... answering to the theme of "Closing the Gap!!!", almost every athlete on our team showed up and contributed.  I am so proud of how everyone competed... every diver did their thing.  And, bottom line, we walked away from the meet with 6 championships (Nick with 4, Meili with 1 and Cody with 1), and many other divers challenging kids that have 3-4 times as much experience.  I am not surprised, though.  You could see it coming... however, the first measure of our season's theme?  Here's what it looked like:

We are on the right track, and it has alot to do with the heart of this team.  I will continue to add to this report, but just know that I am simply tickled to see the quality of diving at this point in the season.  I see great things happening for our team.  The other good news is... I am very excited for our sport.  Every team in the State is having similar success... Phenomena had two champs, LCDA has several kids that have future success written all over them, FCDC... my goodness, did anyone see Jess Andrus' 5136d on 3M, and along the same lines, Aaron Feight, goodness gracious!!!  and Sean Moore of MHDC with legitimate 5's and 5 1/2's on a 5237d.  Few of the best SENIOR divers in the world can make that a legitimate dive.  And then there is the Hilltoppers, with Hunter Helmstaedter knocking off a National Champ... and where did Charlie Lippett come from?  This is a great time for Colorado to be hosting Regional Championships.  Stay tuned.  Colorado Diving is going places...

While 2002/2003 was a great season for Sagebrush Diving... I believe that we have so much more to accomplish in 2003/2004.  I chose "Closing the Gap" as a theme for this season for many reasons... but to sum it up, we've come so far in the first 5 years, from a brand new upstart team with a handful of high school divers, to arguably the 2nd best team in the State (behind Mile High Dive Club) with a talented group of divers of all abilities and all ages.  My goal this season is to close the gap in many ways.  Recruit and retain the best of the best.  Expect to be the best by training like the best.  Maintain and grow the best facility in the State.  Utilize it more fully, as well.  My hope is that all the divers on the team, and those that are ready to join, adopt this slogan as a theme in their training... to see what their potential is, and try to REACH that potential... "Closing the Gap!!!"  I'm ready... how about you?  Seeya at the pool...  Coach Kev

Zone E Championships 2003 was a fantastic experience for our divers.  Sure, most of the kids didn't dive to their potential, but most of our divers were CLOSE, and they were treated to a new level of diving excellence.  It definitely gives us something to shoot for.  Pasadena was beautiful.  Results can be found at the following location:  ZONE E CHAMPIONSHIPS

Region VI 2003 TEAM:  "Strongest Regional Team Ever."  RESULTS Sagebrush Diving qualified 7 of 9 divers to Zone Championships, and earned its first Regional Champion, Nick Siegler (winner of both the 11-under 1M and 3M).  While there were few divers in his age-group, he definitely earned his titles.  Even after "aging up," he beat most of the 13-under divers as well, placing third on both 1M and 3M.  Other highlights included Jerry Molsberry hitting all his dives, placing 3rd on 1M in the 14/15 event, and the most consistent diver on the team (Cassidy Lynch) putting in all his dives to qualify for Zones in the toughest events (16-18 boys 1M and 3M).  Cass had the highest scoring dive, ripping his 305c on 3M.  Wow!  Also, Bryce Engstrom dove well-enough to qualify for Zones on 3M.  On the girls side, Erin Lionberger used a strong list of voluntaries to qualify on both boards, while Julia Northrop used her consistency to qualify on 1M (she had previously qualified in 2001 for Zones on 3M).  Another great story was Meili Carpenter, who started diving this year for her high school in the Fall of 2002 (Fairview HS, coach Todd Shermer), but only recently (5 weeks ago) began diving on the club scene.  Her list of optionals and two voluntaries had her qualifying for finals (top 16) as the top Colorado diver... she was actually 6th at the time, but her inexperience got the best of her for her last three voluntaries, and she dropped all the way down to 14th and missed qualifying for Zones by two places.  On 3M, it was a completely different story.  She had the toughest list of optionals of any 14/15 girl diver from Colorado in the event (105b/205c/303c/405c/5233d), so we were banking on her optionals carrying her like in the 1M event.  However, she missed all but her twister, and it was her voluntaries that carried her up to 9th place (qualifying for her first Zone Championships).  I believe two more weeks of training will make her that much more comfortable, and expect a slightly different list of optionals at Zone Championships.  Unfortunately, Missy Schafer didn't have enough time to refine her 1M list, placing 32nd on 1M.  Also, our most prepared diver on the team, Amber Utesch, had a rare "off" weekend.  She had the highest DD dive list of any female Colorado diver of any age on 3M, and every one of her dives was dropping for 5's and 6's on both boards in the practices leading up to the weekend.  Fortunately, one weekend does not determine the future of any diver, and in her case, she'll come away from this stronger.  She placed 22nd on 1M, and 18th on 3M (two points out of finals).  I am simply psyched at how well she is doing, and it was tough to watch her have a less than stellar weekend, but as humans, we have to expect that every once in awhile.  We ended up 5th as a team (out of 19).  Also consider that Jayhawk Diving and Schroeder YMCA are not necessarily from Region VI, so considering ONLY Region VI teams, we were 3rd overall.  Congratulations Sagebrush Diving... keep up the great work.  Also, as a barometer, in 2001, Sagebrush finished 8th as a team with 55 points, while Mile High Dive Club won with 351 points.  2003 was a 76% improvement, compared to some of the other Colorado teams (MHDC: -46%, FCDC: -73%, and TOPS: -84%).  Good stuff.

Colorado Cup 2003:  Sagebrush Diving is the first TEAM CHAMPION of the inaugural Colorado Cup.  The Colorado Cup will be a diving invitational held annually after the CO boys high school season is complete... kicking off the Summer USD season.  Each year, the TEAM CHAMPION and Runner-Up will be engraved on the side of the trophy.  Congratulations, Sagebrush Diving (235 pts), DU Hilltoppers (101 pts), LCDA (58 pts), Phenomena Diving (43 pts), and NORCO Diving (38 pts).  Also, congrats to the following double event winners:  

12/13 Girls:  Erin Lionberger, Sagebrush Diving

14/15 Girls:  Cori Swango, DU Hilltoppers

16-18 Girls:  Amber Utesch, Sagebrush Diving

11-under Boys:  Philip Lahnert, Sagebrush Diving

14/15 Boys:  Cassidy Lynch, Sagebrush Diving

16-18 Boys:  Bryce Engstrom, Sagebrush Diving

Colorado Cup 2003 Results

West National Championships (Pasadena, CA):   Sagebrush Diving "officially" finished tied for 23rd at Nationals as a team... 

Erin Lionberger:  20th on 3M, and 24th on 1M.

Jerry Molsberry:  18th on 3M, 13th on 3M synchro.

Cassidy Lynch:  19th on 3M, 13th on 3M synchro.

Region X Diving Championships (Salt Lake City):  Sagebrush Diving competed at Region X Championships 2003, and competed VERY well (5th place as a team).  Sagebrush took 9 divers to compete at Region X Championships, and we did great.  Nick Siegler led the charge with two silver medal finishes on 1M and 3M, placing second to eventual National Champion Kristian Ipsen (Diablo Divers) in both events.  Also, Erin Lionberger placed 5th on both boards.  Both divers qualified to Nationals in both events.  Also, Cassidy Lynch placed 6th on 3M and 8th on 1M, qualifying him for Nationals on 3M while just missing Nationals on 1M.  Rounding out our National Team is Jerry Molsberry, who placed 5th on 3M, while finishing 17th on 1M.  Other divers results...  Bryce Engstrom finished 10th on 1M and 11th on 3M, Tyler Frazier finished 6th on 3M and 7th on 1M, Sami Rose finished 11th on 1M and 14th on 3M, Amber Utesch finished 13th on 1M and 17th on 3M, and Ben Raznick placed 14th on 3M and 18th on 1M.  TEAM and INDIVIDUAL Results  

OKC Invite News (1/25/03): Nick Siegler brought home two gold medals, while Erin Lionberger (silver on 3M, bronze on 1M) and Cassidy Lynch (bronze on both 1M/3M) brought home some hardware as well.

COLORADO CUP 2003 was a great success.  Congrats to the Sagebrush athletes for bringing home the first Colorado Cup... WAYTAGO.  

2003 WEEKLY UPDATES AND TEAM NEWS

2002 WEEKLY UPDATES AND TEAM NEWS

How to be a World-Class Parent, by Doug Beavers

Diving in College, by Joe Chirico

Strength Training for Diving, by Kevin Sage

Sagebrush Diving

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