Dive Team: Jumping into Early Season Competitions
By Neve Murphy, Staff Writer
// The Acalanes dive team begins their season with a new coach and a new level of intensity in their training. Although small in numbers, the team has had some early success.
With only four members, the Acalanes dive team combines with other high schools in the Acalanes Union High School District (AUHSD) to form the Campolindo, Las Lomas, Acalanes, and Miramonte (CLAM) diving program.
“The diving program consists of the 4 AUHSD schools and we all practice together at either Campo or Acalanes. There are four of us from Acalanes. Me, Dakota a senior, and Teagan and Addy who are sophomores,” junior Anya HaasHollenback said.
The CLAM team often competes together against other districts and areas in dual meets. In addition to the CLAM schools, the Acalanes dive team trains with high schools from neighboring districts.
“We [train with] all the schools in the Acalanes district plus a couple of other ones, College Park, Northgate, Athenian, schools in those areas. We all train together, about 15 to 20 divers in total from all the schools,” sophomore Teagan Frase said.
The CLAM dive team had their first meet on March 8 against Berkeley High School in a Dual Meet at the Acalanes pool. Senior Dakota Goyert’s score of 358.35 points qualified her for the North Coast Section (NCS) playoffs.
The CLAM team then competed in the Hawk Invite at Los Positas College on March 16. Goyert and Stevens competed for varsity; Goyert placed 6th and Stevens placed 11th.
The Acalanes diving program has undergone some major changes since its last season including local training sessions.
“We normally train at Campolindo but right now we are at Acalanes which is pretty cool for the Acalanes divers because we get to interact with the swim team,” Frase said.
The team is also under new leadership this year with coach Eric Holzheimer who intensified their training schedule. The team is grateful for the new level of commitment and hopes these improvements will result in a successful season.
“We have practice every day where we go through our dive lists and learn new dives ... Our team hopes to have most of us qualify for [the] NCS [playoffs]. ... Last year ... we only practiced three times but we got a new coach this year and have had regular practices,” HaasHollenback said.
