Gameday 2011-11-21

FOUR OF A KIND

BY BRADLY DERECHAILO STAFF WRITER

It is 1:30 p.m. during a regular day of diving practice. Skrillex echoes of f the walls of the Sonny Werblin Recreation Center as Rutgers diver Victoria Gordon makes her way up a set of stairs to the diving platform.

The sophomore steps onto the board, closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and springs into the air. She makes a faint splash moments later as water spills onto the pool deck.

Gordon emerges from the water with a grin as wide as her face will allow.

SEE KIND ON PAGE S3

KEITH FREEMAN / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

S2

S POTLIGHT

NOVEMBER 21, 2011

T H E DA I LY TA R G U M

RAMON DOMPOR / SENIOR STAFF PHOTGORAPHER

KEITH FREEMAN / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

RAMON DOMPOR / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

KEITH FREEMAN / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

RAMON DOMPOR / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

KEITH FREEMAN / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

S POTLIGHT

T H E DA I LY TA R G U M

NOVEMBER 21, 2011

S3

RAMON DOMPOR / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Junior diver Carissa Santora completes a practice dive from a 3-meter spring board. Santora is in her first season with the Scarlet Knights after transferring from Virginia Tech. Diving coach Fred Woodruff orginially recruited Santora out of Mainland Regional High School, but she chose Virginia Tech instead of Rutgers.

KIND: Diving team features increased depth for Woodruff continued from cover “I thought I had that,” Gordon says after attempting one of her many dives.

“I thought you did, too,” says diving coach Fred Woodruff.

Gordon’s teammates erupt in applause as she climbs out of the pool, goes back up the stairs and once again dives into the water.

The energy Gordon demonstrated reflects the attitude the team injected into this season.

The divers helped the Scarlet Knights experience one of the program’s best starts in recent memor y as they sit undefeated with six wins.

Woodr uf f recognizes the newfound work ethic between his four leading divers. The 18-

year coach sees Gordon, fellow sophomore Nicole Scott and juniors Carissa Santora and Katie Kearney feed of f each other to get better.

“It’s a great climate in practice,” Woodruff said. “If someone is getting some good dives in the water, it brings up the workout and gets the others going, too. They want to keep up with what ever y other one is doing. They have fun and at the same time work hard.”

Kearny, the captain and vocal leader of the group, believes each diver is instr umental to the team’s early success and that they motivate each other with their own success.

“We come here to dive and to work,” Kearney said. “Each one of us has a different personality to bring, so it’s been fantastic. The energy level has been great and it’s a lot of fun in practice.”

JOVELLE ABBEY TAMAYO / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

While all four divers may have different personalities, the ability to come together to get better as a team has each excited for the season.

“We have a really great team,” said Santora, who transferred from Virginia Tech and competes in her first season with the Knights. “We work together to make sure ever yone is pumped up and we are all really good friends, so that helps. We are really close.”

The bond between the group members is evident throughout practice as all four gather on the mats and stretch before each session. When each one takes her turn off the boards, the rest watch as she completes her sets.

The quartet provides depth for Woodruff, the likes of which he never had during his tenure at Rutgers.

“To coach that whole group, it’s pretty cool,” Woodruff said.

“I don’t think I ever had this much depth on a team. If someone slips up on a day, there is somebody to take over. I’m really enjoying this year.”

While the success experienced by the team looks natural, for some, the path leading to competing in the sport did not start in the water.

It began in the gym.

“I used to be a gymnast,” Gordon said. “Then I kind of just switched over. Being a former gymnast helps a lot. Your body is used to that kind of flipping [for dives].”

Of the four, only Scott did not star t out in gymnastics.

Santora’s path from the mats came as a result of injuries sustained from her former sport.

“I was a gymnast forever,” Santora said. “Then I got too many injuries, so my mom made my sister and I tr y diving for a year. We then ended up liking it, so we stuck with it and it has worked out.”

Santora benefited most from the switch, as the junior already owns four individual titles this year. She was one of the main contributors in the Knights’ October victory against then-undefeated Wagner.

Injury was also the reason for Kearney’s transition to the sport she now loves.

“I actually developed stress fractures in my foot so I had to stop [gymnastics],” Kearney said.

“So then I started diving for my club team when I was 10 or 11 years old, and I have been doing it ever since.”

Whatever path each diver took to land on the team, each brought success to the program that has Woodruff excited for the year ahead.

“I think the whole team is starting to get together, and [they] are starting to get their identity,” Woodruff said. “The girls work really well and hard together. They have a lot of talent there and I’m excited.”

JOVELLE ABBEY TAMAYO / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Sophomore divers Nicole Scott, left, and Victoria Gordon dive from a 5-meter platform board during practice at the Sonny Werblin Recreation Center.

T H E DA I LY TA R G U M

S POTLIGHT

NOVEMBER 21, 2011

S7

Kearney continues diving through pain

BY BRADLY DERECHAILO

and think that I will get back to what I was.”

One thing Kearney does not use Every time junior diver Katie the injury for is as an excuse.

Kearney jumps off the board, The Mahwah, N.J., native credits Rutgers diving coach Fred her upbringing as the reason she Woodruff winces as she cuts her fights through the excruciating pain way through the water. every time she slices through the air He does not cringe because of and into the pool. the way the dive looks. He reacts “I grew up with four brothers, so accordingly because he knows with you don’t show pain around them,” each dive, his captain hits the pool Kearney said. “You get tackled and with pain. wrestled with all the time, so pain “She dives in just comes with it.” pain every day,” Woodruff sees how Woodruff said. “She’s determined the captain having a hard time with is to improve despite her injuries.” her shoulder probKearney dislocated lems, pointing to her her shoulder three leadership as essential weeks ago during practo the program. tice, dislodging it as she “She has shoulder hit the water. The injury problems and she dives in left the junior with the pain every day and just KATIE excruciating soreness grits it out,” Woodruff KEARNEY she deals in every pracsaid. “She is tough as tice and event. nails. She is the one that grounds the “I have a torn labrum and a torn team. She is king of the glue that shoulder capsule,” Kearney said. keeps everyone together.”

“When [my shoulder] relocated, it Woodruff credits Kearney’s went in the wrong place, so it’s been leadership ability as one of the really painful.” main reasons the divers perThe shoulder pain resulted in formed so well through six meets Kearney being limited during train- and why the Scarlet Knights are ing sessions as she tries to heal and currently undefeated. practice at the same time. The “I’m really proud of her and accompanying agony affects how what she brings to the team,” she executes her routines.

Woodruff said. “She keeps every“It’s been a struggle,” Kearney one aware of what needs to be said. “I’m able to get my dives off, done, what’s going on and where but they just aren’t as good right we need to be. She’s our captain now. I just have to keep positive and definitely our leader.”

STAFF WRITER

KEITH FREEMAN / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Junior diver Katie Kearney hits the water at the Sonny Werblin Recreation Center during a practice dive, which causes pain after she dislocated her shoulder earlier in the season.

T H E D A I LY TA R G U M

SPOTLIGHT

PA G E S 8

NOVEMBER 21, 2011

YEE ZHSIN BOON

Senior swimmer Trisha Averill swims in the Scarlet Knights’ tri-meet with Seton Hall and Texas Christian at the Sonny Werblin Recreation Center, where Averill was part of a first-place finishing 200-yard medley relay team. Averill earned Big East Swimmer of the Week honors earlier this season.

Seniors Averill, Ward lead Rutgers in, out of pool

BY BRADLY DERECHAILO STAFF WRITER

An ef fective leader is essential for any team to succeed. For Rutgers head swimming and diving coach Phil Spiniello, there is the luxur y of two such swimmers at his disposal.

Seniors Trisha Averill and Jacquelyn Ward provide what Spiniello, in his second year, wants to instill in the program.

He relies on the duo to set an example for the rest of the team both during meets and at practice.

Ward, who transferred from Indiana two years ago, showcases the hard work and dedication Spiniello looks for in each of his swimmers ever y time they hit the water.

“She has a tremendous work ethic and a great mind for swimming,” Spiniello said. “She’s a captain this year and leads by example for this team.”

The swimmer’s hard work paid of f this season, as she helped guide the Scarlet Knights to an undefeated star t.

Ward took first place in three events in Rutgers’ last home

meet to help the team defeat instate rival Seton Hall and Texas Christian. Ward also took gold in the 200-meter individual medley on the first day of competition and captured victories in the 400meter individual medley and 500meter freestyle event the next.

“The energy level has been spectacular for this team,” Ward said. “It has succeeded the energy level of any team I have ever been on.”

Spiniello credits her hard work throughout the season as fueling her success.

“She has really taken her swimming to the next level these past couple of years,” Spiniello said. “It’s been really fun and exciting to watch.”

Leading the team with Ward is Averill, the first Knight this year to earn Big East Swimmer of the Week honors. The Renton, Wash., native placed first in each of the Knights’ past three meets and won seven individual events this season.

Averill believes her individual victories and awards show how hard her team works.

“I thought it was really great exposure for our program,”

Averill said of her Big East recognition. “It was good for me as a person, but I was more excited for the team, and I’m excited that it is going to keep getting better for ever yone.”

Averill’s attitude about the award is what Spiniello said allows for his team’s successful star t.

“For her, it’s a nice recognition, but even she said it was great for our program,” Spiniello said. “She is a ver y humble athlete and wants to put the team first. Her intensity in practice and in the pool is incredible.”

For the success in the pool to continue and for the undefeated streak to sur vive, Averill knows the leadership and energy levels need to continue as the season wears on.

“Ever ything we do just has a really deep meaning, and ever y day we can come into practice really excited,” Ward said. “We want to work hard and keep that record going. It makes for a really motivating atmosphere.”

From the look of the per formances of the two seniors, motivation is not a problem.

YEE ZHSIN BOON

Senior swimmer Jacquelyn Ward swims in a home tri-meet where she won the 400-yard individual medley and 500-yard freestyle.