The Daily Pennsylvanian is a student-run nonprofit.

Please support us by disabling your ad blocker on our site.

One of Penn's two divers, Guillermo Marx slipped on the board during the Notre Dame meet. He responded two days later with a lifetime best. [Dara Nikolova/DP File Photo]

When people think of the events at a college swimming meet, common races such as the freestyle, backstroke, butterfly and medley relay come to mind. However, there are two events that are quite different from the rest -- the one meter and three meter diving. "Diving is very important because it makes up two events at every meet," Penn swimming coach Mike Schnur said. "Those can add up to a lot of points that play a critical role in the final score." The Penn diving program is a key component to the overall success of the swim team but has struggled in the last few years due to a lack of stable coaching. All of that changed last year, however, when Anitra Kass was hired as the varsity diving coach and Facilities Coordinator for Penn recreation. "Penn was a perfect fit for me since I had an interest in coaching and an interest in facilities management in a campus recreation setting," Kass said. Kass, a native of New Jersey, first started diving when she was seven years old. She was a four year varsity letter-winner in diving at James Madison University and coached in summer diving leagues for seven years. "The summer leagues allowed me to coach athletes with broad ranges of abilities, from novices to junior national qualifiers," Kass said. The transfer from a school in the Colonial Athletic Conference to an Ivy League institution could be overwhelming for some, but after Anitra read up on Penn swimming history, visions of grandeur abounded. "Mike [Schnur] has worked hard to bring this team into the upper sector of the Ivy League," she said. "And I was thrilled to become a part of it." Taking over the Quakers' diving program, Kass knew that there was a lot of work to be done. While the Penn swimming team had been on the rise the last few years, the diving program had not yet been firmly established. "In the past it's been difficult to convince high caliber, multiple divers to come onto a team where you weren't sure who the coach will be next year," Kass said. The lack of stable coaching translated into a lack of stable recruiting, which in turn resulted in a fewer divers on the men's roster. While this means that Penn sends only two divers instead of the standard three in dual-meets, Kass does not view this as a complete disadvantage. "Coming in, I was expecting to work with a smaller squad," the new diving coach said. "I view it as an advantage since it gives me an opportunity to work with the kids on a more individual basis and give them more attention." Kass also asserts that her small team made for a smoother transition to the Penn diving program, than would have occurred with a larger group. Since the last few Penn diving coaches only worked part time, Kass' full investment in the program is a marked change from previous years. And an increase in time investment means an increase in expectations. "I view this as an opportunity to change the culture that I'm in," Kass said. "I do a lot of things that previous coaches haven't done before, and I expect more things in return." Nevertheless, both Kass and Schnur are working hard to expand the diving program and add more divers to the men's roster. "When you have more athletes on a team, it encourages competition and gets everyone performing at the highest level," Schnur said. Currently, the Penn men's diving team consists of freshman Tyler Markman and sophomore Guillermo Marx. Markman, hailing from West Newton, Mass., was a three-time Massachusetts state finalist. He has swept both the one-meter and three-meter events on two separate occasions on the season. "Occasionally I see it as a disadvantage," Markman said of Penn's two-diver lineup. "But it just means that each time we go up there we try to have our best individual performance of the year." Guillermo is a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina. After injuring his foot by slipping off the three meter board during the Notre Dame meet, he came back two days later and recorded his lifetime best score on the one meter against Brown. "Both Tyler and Guillermo have been really self-motivated, most times I've had to kick them out of practice when time is up," Kass said. The recruiting process has already gone well for Schnur and Kass, who have received one commitment from an early decision acceptee to join the team. Several other recruits have applied regular decision to Penn and are now awaiting word. "Mike has helped a lot with the recruiting process, using his experience to locate a number of top student-athletes," Kass said. "What has already been done with our freshman swimming class can now be done with our divers." So what does the new leader of the Penn diving program look for in a perfect dive? "A lot of people tend to look at just the entry," she said. "Obviously you want no splash, but I think what's really important are the basic board mechanics and a pretty position in the air." One tangible sign of the improvement of the Penn men's diving team is the entry of both divers in the Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming League championships, which will take place from March 6-8 at the Nassau County Aquatic Center in Uniondale, N.Y. "Both Tyler and Guillermo are really excited," Kass said. "It will allow them to compete against some of the best divers in the nation as well give them experience for the long term."

Comments powered by Disqus

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.