MEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING: Synchronicity key in diving competition
By: NOREEN GILLESPIE
Sports Writer
Without a word, divers Andy Maggio and Joe Miller paced to the end of their respective diving boards, and perched themselves on the edge.
And waited.
Rocking in silence, the two bobbed cautiously in sync, teetering between an inch of bouncing board and the water that loomed below them. In the three meters of air that separated them from the board and the water, they had one task to complete: perform the same dive, in perfect synchronization.
Quietly counting to three, Maggio signaled for the two to leave the board, embarking in a series of twists, turns and flips before plunging into the pool — together.
"The most difficult part is the start," Maggio said about the synchronized diving competition the team performed Friday during the men's swimming and diving meet against the University of Tennesee. "We both do different types of takeoffs — you have to try and change your takeoff to accommodate the other person."
Maggio and Miller placed second behind a pair of Tennesee divers during Friday's dual meet with the University of Tennesee.
The duo faced off against No. 5 Tennesee, which boasts some of the best divers in the nation on its roster. The event served as a chance for the divers to work on skills that carry over to individual performance, according to Maggio, Miller and diving coach Caiming Xie.
Synchronized diving, although not an official NCAA event, was introduced on the world stage during the 2000 Sydney Olympics. An official U.S. diving event, it will probably become a part of college competition in the next few years, according to Xie.
"I've got less experience than [Maggio], so seeing his technique helps me a lot," Miller said.
For Maggio, currently undefeated in dual meet competition this year, the competition was an opportunity to polish his individual skills.
"Solo diving is a lot more important, since it's what we go to Big East for," he said. "But sync is a fun thing to do. It helps having more than one thing to think about ... it helps me focus on the dive a little more, and block out distractions."
One of the biggest benefits to the synchronized competition is the mental focus it forces the athletes to have, Xie said.
"It helps the individual resolve some problems mentally ... sometimes, mentally, it can be hard to get off the board," Xie said.
It also forces strict attention to technique.
"Individual divers may have a different style, and have to chance their own style to match others," Xie said.
For Maggio and Miller, the biggest change they had to make was adjusting their press before takeoff, Xie said. Having only performed the event once at the Notre Dame relays and devoting only one week of practice to the event, the divers had a much better performance this time around, Xie said.
"You just have to trust that you're partner's going to go," Miller said.
"Once you're in the air ... there's not much you can do," Maggio added, laughing.
Notes:
Tennesee defeated the men's swimming and diving team 134.5 to 81.5. Besides the synchronized diving, the teams competed in offbeat events not usually seen in college competition, including an underwater relay and several 50-yard events. The loss was the first in the 2001-02 dual meet season for the Irish.
All Sports Stories for Monday, November 5, 2001
