Dan Cromar / Roundup
Pierce College diver Jamie Flynn was named State Female Diver of the Year at the state championships at Mt. San Antonio.
Flynn, (age), has been diving for Pierce since Spring ’09, and was the school’s only diver this season.
“Jamie’s the best female diver we’ve had (at Pierce),” said Diving Coach Fred Shaw.
Pierce’s last diver of the year was Bryce Lerman, who won Male Diver of the Year in 2002.
Each diver at the meet performed six dives on both the 1-meter board and the 3-meter board. Points were then awarded based on how each place on each board.
Flynn placed first on the 3-meter board and second on the 1-meter board, earning her a total of 37 points, enough to take first place.
Her six dives were a front 2.5 pike (legs straight), a back 2.5 tuck (legs bent), a reverse dive pike, an inward 1.5 somersault pike, and inward 2.5 somersault tuck, and a back 1.5 somersault with a 1.5 twist.
Of those dives, the back 2.5 tuck had the highest rate of difficulty, and the reverse dive pike was her best dive, but had the lowest rate of difficulty.
On the 1-meter board, all dives have the same degree of difficulty, but on the 3-meter board, the degrees vary.
“If you mess up on a dive, you’re already out of contention,” said Flynn of the 1M board.
This season was her first since having shoulder surgery in May 2009. She injured herself doing a reverse dive in December 2008.
“I was a little nervous doing a reverse because that’s what I injured (my shoulder) on,” said Flynn. “That’s why I did a reverse dive instead of a reverse 2.5.”
As for her hardest dive, the back 2.5 tuck, Flynn said that it was “a matter of statying confident and relaxed.”
She learned the dive in 12th grade.
“Once you learn a harder dive, it stays on your list and the coaches make you practice it,” she said.
Flynn feels that this also affects her other dives.
“I’m scared to do the easier dives, now that I now how to do the harder dives,” she said. “I think if my coach asked me to do a back 1.5 off the 3-meter (board), I’d laugh at him.”
Flynn has been diving since age nine, when she also began cheerleading. She went to El Comino Real High School, where she cheered in ninth grade and dove all four years.
She went to UC Davis for one year, where, in a state competition, she placed second on the 3-meter board and third on the 1-meter board.
After suffering her shoulder injury, she transferred to Pierce.
She is no longer eligible to dive for a community college, but hopes to transfer to either CSUN or Long Beach State University.
“She’s definitely Division I or II quality,” said Shaw.
Pierce Athletic Director Bob Lofrano also has great respect for Flynn’s abilities.
“She represents the school as a champion,” said Lofrano. “Maybe someday she’ll be in the Brahma Hall of Fame.”
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