2011 NCAA DIII Swimming and Diving Championships

Hayley Emerick and Ruth Hahn capture 2nd and 3rd on the 3 - meter board at Nationals.

Trinity divers Hayley Emerick and Ruth Hahn competed at the NCAA DIII Swimming and Diving Championships March 23-26 in Knoxville, TN. Both divers represented Trinity well, contributing to a 17th place team finish overall. Hayley finished 2nd on both boards while Ruth followed her team-mate with a 3rd place finish on 3-meter and a 12th place finish on 1-meter.

Coach Randall with divers Hayley and Ruth.

Head Diving Coach Stan Randall was extremely proud of both his divers' accomplishments. "It was an emotional experience taking Hayley to her last NCAA Championship. She has been one of the more decorated divers in our sport, qualifying all four years and winning an NCAA title. Ruth's first trip to the Nationals was equally emotional. Having Ruth place in the top eight and be Academic All-American in her first year is an incredible success," said Coach Randall.

Hayley competing during finals of the 2011 NCAA 3 - meter competition.

Hayley is no stranger in the world of NCAA DIII diving. A competitor at the NCAA Championship for four consecutive years, Hayley has steadily improved from a 9th place finisher on both boards to a National Champion, DIII 3-meter record holder, and culminated her collegiate career with her highest combined finishes on both boards. In an interview with Hayley, she reflected on her experience at Nationals and her time at Trinity.

Coach Leta: Looking back, what was the key to your improving performances each year at Nationals?

Hayley: I think each year I got more and more serious about diving. I also started to trust myself more and realized that there were no superstars that were unbeatable out there. I also kept working on the mental aspect of diving and that improved each year as well.  Pretty much as long as I listened to Stan, my diving kept improving each year. He never steered me wrong.

CL: As Stan has said, you are one of the more decorated divers in Trinity history. Did you have even the smallest idea your freshman year that this would happen?

H: No actually. I came into school thinking I would probably be the 3rd place girl on the team throughout my freshman year. It started off that way, but eventually, I worked my way up and was finally able to finish 1st at conference both boards that year.  I was really excited for that alone, and making it to NCAAs was icing on the cake. When I went to NCAAs that year I put no expectations on my performance. I just wanted to see what place I would rank in the nation as a freshman. I was the only freshman there that year and I ended up 9th on both boards. After that, I made it my goal to be All-American (top 8) the next year, and after that I wanted to win a championship by my senior year. So really my goal was not to become the most decorated diver at Trinity, but it ended up that way because of the larger goals that I set for myself. Throughout my entire time at Trinity, Stan was very incouraging and instilled in me the idea that I could win NCAAs at some point. Once he told me I could win, and I started to believe it, my dedication to the sport grew even more. I definitely would not have been able to do it if he hadn't told me so.

CL: Trinity divers have a lot of fun and share some wonderful memories together. What are you going to miss most about Trinity diving?

H: Probably the team and all the fun trips. Puerto Rico is always great and you really get to know your teammates. Traveling with the team to different meets around the country is also a good bonding experience.  We also have a lot of fun together when we aren't traveling. I will also miss the competitive nature of the sport. I've always been a very competitive person, and diving let me use that to my advantage. I guess I'll have to find a new sport now...

CL: What were some of the reasons you chose to come to Trinity? Academic and athletic...

H: Well I wanted a school that was really well known for its academics. When I came to college I loved diving but I wanted to be a student first. Stan is really good about making that happen. He says "School comes first, second, and third, and then diving." This is really nice when you have to miss some practices for a big test or project the next day. That really attracted me to trinity. I had also known stan for a few years before I started looking at colleges and I always had Trinity in the back of my mind. Once I started looking around, I knew I wouldnt find a better school for academics coupled with such a wonderful diving coach. Stan is so great. He loves coaching, he's great at it, and he'll do anything for his divers. He also makes diving practices pleasurable and will not push you past your mental and physical limits.

While there will be a lot for Hayley to miss here at Trinity and in San Antonio, she has a very promising future ahead of her.  Hayley, the recipient of an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, already has a position lined up with Capgemini in Houston as an IT staff consultant. There will be plenty for her to look forward to during life after college.

We're definitely going to miss you though Hayley!

-Coach Leta