BY BRADLY DERECHAILOSTAFF WRITER

It is 1:30 p.m. during a regularday of diving practice. Skrillexechoes of f the walls of the Sonny Werblin Recreation Centeras Rutgers diver Victoria Gordonmakes her way up a set of stairsto the diving platform.

The sophomore steps onto theboard, closes her eyes, takes a deepbreath and springs into the air. Shemakes a faint splash moments lateras water spills onto the pool deck.

Gordon emerges from thewater with a grin as wide as herface will allow.

SEE KIND ON PAGE S3

FOUR OF A KIND

KEITH FREEMAN / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

T H E D A I L Y T A R G U MS POTLIGHTS 2 N O V E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 1 1

KEITH FREEMAN / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

KEITH FREEMAN / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

RAMON DOMPOR / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

RAMON DOMPOR / SENIOR STAFF PHOTGORAPHER

RAMON DOMPOR / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

KEITH FREEMAN / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

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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 fromVirginia Tech. Diving coach Fred Woodruff orginially recruited Santora out of Mainland Regional High School, but she chose Virginia Tech instead of Rutgers.

JOVELLE ABBEY TAMAYO / SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER 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.

“I thought I had that,” Gordonsays after attempting one of hermany dives.

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

Gordon’s teammates eruptin applause as she climbs out ofthe pool, goes back up thestairs and once again dives intothe water.

The energy Gordon demon-strated reflects the attitude theteam injected into this season.The divers helped the ScarletKnights experience one of theprogram’s best starts in recentmemory as they sit undefeatedwith six wins.

Woodruf f recognizes thenewfound work ethic betweenhis four leading divers. The 18-

KIND: Diving team features

increased depth for Woodruff

continued from cover

year coach sees Gordon, fellowsophomore Nicole Scott andjuniors Carissa Santora andKatie Kearney feed of f eachother to get better.

“It’s a great climate in prac-tice,” Woodruff said. “If some-one is getting some good divesin the water, it brings up theworkout and gets the othersgoing, too. They want to keepup with what every other one isdoing. They have fun and at thesame time work hard.”

Kearny, the captain andvocal leader of the group,believes each diver is instrumental to the team’s early success and that theymotivate each other with theirown success.

“We come here to dive andto work,” Kearney said. “Eachone of us has a dif ferent per-sonality to bring, so it’s beenfantastic. The energy level has been great and it’s a lot offun in practice.”

While all four divers mayhave dif ferent personalities, theability to come together to getbetter as a team has each excit-ed for the season.

“We have a really greatteam,” said Santora, who trans-ferred from Virginia Tech andcompetes in her first seasonwith the Knights. “We worktogether to make sure every-one is pumped up and we are allreally good friends, so thathelps. We are really close.”

The bond between the groupmembers is evident throughoutpractice as all four gather onthe mats and stretch beforeeach session. When each onetakes her turn of f the boards,the rest watch as she completesher sets.

The quartet provides depthfor Woodruff, the likes of whichhe never had during his tenureat Rutgers.

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

“I don’t think I ever had thismuch depth on a team. If some-one slips up on a day, there issomebody to take over. I’m real-ly enjoying this year.”

While the success experi-enced by the team looks natu-ral, for some, the path leadingto competing in the sport didnot start in the water.

It began in the gym.“I used to be a gymnast,”

Gordon said. “Then I kind of justswitched over. Being a former gym-nast helps a lot. Your body is usedto that kind of flipping [for dives].”

Of the four, only Scott didnot star t out in gymnastics.Santora’s path from the matscame as a result of injuries sus-tained from her former sport.

“I was a gymnast forever,”Santora said. “Then I got toomany injuries, so my mommade my sister and I try divingfor a year. We then ended upliking it, so we stuck with it andit has worked out.”

Santora benefited most from theswitch, as the junior already ownsfour individual titles this year. Shewas one of the main contributors inthe Knights’ October victoryagainst then-undefeated Wagner.

Injury was also the reason forKearney’s transition to the sportshe now loves.

“I actually developed stressfractures in my foot so I had tostop [gymnastics],” Kearney said.“So then I started diving for myclub team when I was 10 or 11years old, and I have been doing itever since.”

Whatever path each divertook to land on the team, eachbrought success to the programthat has Woodruff excited forthe year ahead.

“I think the whole team isstarting to get together, and[they] are starting to get theiridentity,” Woodruff said. “Thegirls work really well and hardtogether. They have a lot of talentthere and I’m excited.”

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Kearney continuesdiving through pain

BY BRADLY DERECHAILOSTAFF WRITER

Every time junior diver KatieKearney jumps off the board,Rutgers diving coach FredWoodruff winces as she cuts herway through the water.

He does not cringe because ofthe way the dive looks. He reactsaccordingly because he knows witheach dive, his captain hits the poolwith pain.

“She dives in pain every day,”Woodruff said. “She’shaving a hard time withher injuries.”

Kearney dislocatedher shoulder threeweeks ago during prac-tice, dislodging it as shehit the water. The injuryleft the junior with the excruciating sorenessshe deals in every prac-tice and event.

“I have a torn labrum and a tornshoulder capsule,” Kearney said.“When [my shoulder] relocated, itwent in the wrong place, so it’s beenreally painful.”

The shoulder pain resulted inKearney being limited during train-ing sessions as she tries to heal andpractice at the same time. Theaccompanying agony affects howshe executes her routines.

“It’s been a struggle,” Kearneysaid. “I’m able to get my dives off,but they just aren’t as good rightnow. I just have to keep positive

and think that I will get back towhat I was.”

One thing Kearney does not usethe injury for is as an excuse.

The Mahwah, N.J., native creditsher upbringing as the reason shefights through the excruciating painevery time she slices through the airand into the pool.

“I grew up with four brothers, soyou don’t show pain around them,”Kearney said. “You get tackled andwrestled with all the time, so pain

just comes with it.”Woodruff sees how

determined the captainis to improve despiteher shoulder prob-lems, pointing to herleadership as essentialto the program.

“She has shoulderproblems and she dives inpain every day and justgrits it out,” Woodruffsaid. “She is tough as

nails. She is the one that grounds theteam. She is king of the glue thatkeeps everyone together.”

Woodruff credits Kearney’sleadership ability as one of themain reasons the divers per-formed so well through six meetsand why the Scarlet Knights arecurrently undefeated.

“I’m really proud of her andwhat she brings to the team,”Woodruff said. “She keeps every-one aware of what needs to bedone, what’s going on and wherewe need to be. She’s our captainand definitely our leader.”

KATIEKEARNEY

KEITH FREEMAN / PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

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

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T H E D A I L Y T A R G U M

BY BRADLY DERECHAILOSTAFF WRITER

An ef fective leader is essen-tial for any team to succeed. ForRutgers head swimming and div-ing coach Phil Spiniello, there isthe luxury of two such swimmersat his disposal.

Seniors Trisha Averill andJacquelyn Ward provide whatSpiniello, in his second year,wants to instill in the program.He relies on the duo to set anexample for the rest of the teamboth during meets and at prac-tice.

Ward, who transferred fromIndiana two years ago, showcas-es the hard work and dedicationSpiniello looks for in each of hisswimmers every time they hitthe water.

“She has a tremendous workethic and a great mind for swim-ming,” Spiniello said. “She’s acaptain this year and leads byexample for this team.”

The swimmer’s hard workpaid of f this season, as shehelped guide the Scarlet Knightsto an undefeated start.

Ward took first place in threeevents in Rutgers’ last home

meet to help the team defeat in-state rival Seton Hall and TexasChristian. Ward also took gold inthe 200-meter individual medleyon the first day of competitionand captured victories in the 400-meter individual medley and 500-meter freestyle event the next.

“The energy level has beenspectacular for this team,” Wardsaid. “It has succeeded the ener-gy level of any team I have everbeen on.”

Spiniello credits her hardwork throughout the season asfueling her success.

“She has really taken herswimming to the next level thesepast couple of years,” Spiniellosaid. “It’s been really fun andexciting to watch.”

Leading the team with Ward isAverill, the first Knight this yearto earn Big East Swimmer of theWeek honors. The Renton,Wash., native placed first in eachof the Knights’ past three meetsand won seven individual eventsthis season.

Averill believes her individualvictories and awards show howhard her team works.

“I thought it was really greatexposure for our program,”

Averill said of her Big Eastrecognition. “It was good for meas a person, but I was more excit-ed for the team, and I’m excitedthat it is going to keep gettingbetter for everyone.”

Averill’s attitude about theaward is what Spiniello said allows for his team’s suc-cessful start.

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

For the success in the pool tocontinue and for the undefeatedstreak to survive, Averill knowsthe leadership and energy levelsneed to continue as the seasonwears on.

“Everything we do just has areally deep meaning, and everyday we can come into practicereally excited,” Ward said. “Wewant to work hard and keep thatrecord going. It makes for a real-ly motivating atmosphere.”

From the look of the perform-ances of the two seniors, motiva-tion is not a problem.

YEE ZHSIN BOON

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

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 waspart 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