Diving sectionals took place Saturday the 5th of February, where Katie Hensell, a diver and senior John Adams placed first, while Kaley Corben, a sophomore at Adams placed third. The top four from sectionals would move on the following Tuesday, the 8th, to regionals. 

At regionals, both Hensell and Corben competed against twenty girls. After the first round of eight dives, only the highest scoring twelve would move on. Corben placed fifteenth while Hensell placed fifth. Katie then moved on to state, along with seven other girls from regionals. Hensell says, “ At regionals, I don’t really care if I am in eighth or first, as long as I am in the top eight, and can make it to state.” 

Hensell has made diving state three out of four years of diving and placed 18th her junior year. Diving State took place on February twelfth, and took place in Indianapolis, in IUPUI, where the Olympic Trials take place. Hensell says, “Warm ups start at 7:00, so my mom will want me to be there at 6:30.”

At state, three rounds take place. The divers perform five dives, and then have a fifteen minute warm up period. The divers then perform three more dives and then have another fifteen minute warm up period, then perform three more dives. The judges end up cutting down after the first five dives. Freshman year, Hensell placed 24th, and wasn’t able to make it to the second round of cuts. During junior year, she placed eighteenth, and made it to the second round, missing the final round by only two places. 

Hensell says, “At this point, I am already going to the college I want to, so doing this is for me. It isn’t for more money or scholarships or to go to a better school. I just want to do this for myself.”

Hensell placed 19th overall at state this year. She says, “I’m pretty satisfied about my placement. I really just wanted to have one last good meet, and more importantly, make sure it was a meet I enjoyed. It definitely was, so I’m happy to end my high school diving career like that.”