Swimming & Diving | 11/18/2020 12:20:00 PM
|
QUICK SPRINTS Favorite Music Artist: NF Favorite Hobby: Disc Golf French Toast, Pancakes, or Waffles: French Toast Favorite Book: The Bible Go-To Karaoke Song: Tequila Favorite Dive to Throw: Back 1 1/2, 1 1/2 Twist Game Show You'd be Best at: American Ninja Warrior Qdoba or Chipotle: Chipotle Favorite Superhero: Captain America Netflix or Hulu: Netflix Ideal Superpower: Teleportation Expected Major: Business Favorite Hobby: Spending Time Outdoors French Toast, Pancakes, or Waffles: Waffles Favorite Restaurant: Whataburger Favorite TV Series: Friends Netflix or Hulu: Netflix Favorite Dive to Throw: Gainer Twister Favorite Season: Summer Favorite Superhero: Ironman or Thor Qdoba or Chipotle: Chipotle Favorite Video Game: Minecraft Ideal Superpower: Teleportation Expected Major: Mechanical Engineering Favorite Hobby: Playing Piano French Toast, Pancakes, or Waffles: Pancakes Favorite Restaurant: Cheesecake Factory Favorite Music Genre: R&B Soul Netflix or Hulu: Netflix Favorite Color: Light Purple Favorite Season: Summer If you were an animal, what would you be: Sea Lion Qdoba or Chipotle: Chipotle Dogs or Cats: Dogs Ideal Superpower: Invisibility |
In this installment of the Freshmen Spotlight series, GS caught up with all three divers of the '24 Class: Josiah Fick, Megan Phillip and Susanna Fish. Fick, a Stillwater, Minn. native, joins the Gophers as the two-time reigning champion on the one-meter springboard at the MSHSL Boys Class AA State Championships. After earning both All-American and Academic All-American status in 2020, Fick is primed for success at the collegiate level.
As the four-time reigning MSHSL Girls Class AA State Champion and current MSHSL 11-dive record holder (517.00), Phillip's resume speaks for itself. The Edina, Minn. native will be joining her brother Ryan Phillip on the Gophers' roster.
Though she only began diving in her sophomore year of high school, Fish has qualified for the MSHSL State Championships each of the past three years, culminating in her taking home silver in the one-meter springboard her senior season. After earning a roster spot with the Gophers this year, the Minnetonka, Minn. product is excited to continue her diving journey in her home state.
GopherSports: Why did you choose Minnesota?
Fick: "I made it to State my first year diving which is held at the University of Minnesota pool, and the first time I walked in, I saw it and remember thinking, "man, this is so cool." After that, I started diving at MDA and started to meet the team who were all so nice. I kept diving there up until senior year, had an official visit and I knew for sure this was the spot."
Phillip: "I decided to come to Minnesota because the team felt like a family and it's a great school with great academics. The team's amazing, the atmosphere on campus and around the team is amazing and of course Wenbo and the coaching staff are too. Just everything is great here. It feels like a family, like home. I feel like I can succeed here over anywhere else."
Fish: "I'm planning on studying mechanical engineering, or at least some sort of engineering, so the strong science and engineering programs here were a big reason I wanted to be a Gopher. Also, diving here I get to train under Wenbo which is pretty amazing, and I know that being here, I'll be able to reach my fullest athletic potential. Being able to stay close to my family is nice too."
GS: When did you first start diving, and how did you get started?
Fick: "I was in eighth grade when I started diving. I've been jumping on the trampoline my whole life, and once my mom heard that my older brother and I were trying to challenge each other to do doubles and stuff like that, she got concerned and said "I'd rather you do that into water." I didn't know diving was a sport until then, but she signed me up for it, I got into it, and I loved it."
Phillip: "I first started diving around fifth grade. Both of my parents were divers and my oldest brother had just started diving, so [Ryan Phillip] and I just started diving because of them. We're kind of a diving family."
Fish: "I actually started diving my sophomore year of high school. I was a competitive gymnast growing up and I had to quit gymnastics due to an injury. My little brother had actually started diving the year before just for fun and he seemed to enjoy it, so I decided to give it a try and eventually I realized I wanted to do it in college. It had always been my dream to do gymnastics in college, but once that didn't happen and diving came along, it seemed like a great opportunity."
GS: Who has been your biggest influence/inspiration throughout your career?
Fick: "I have the most amazing family. They're all supportive and they all encourage me no matter what, but my mom says she's my biggest fan, and she really is. She wants to know all about how my practices go and she's always there at my meets cheering me on, so I would say that my mom is my biggest inspiration. She's just the most encouraging person and she lights up a room every time she walks in. She was so excited when I told her I was going to Minnesota."
Phillip: "That's a hard question. Both my parents were good divers, so I think my parents are probably my biggest inspirations because they're just always there for me. Also though, my brothers have had a huge part in it too. They're my older brothers so I've always looked up to them. So, in different ways, everyone in my family has kind of been an inspiration for me. Ryan was actually the first person I told besides my parents that I was coming to Minnesota. When I told him, he ran up to me, gave me a hug and he was just so excited."
Fish: "I would say my biggest influence was my first diving coach, Chris Curry, who actually dove here at the 'U' as well. When she started teaching me to dive, I think she could see my potential. She was always super encouraging and she always believed in me, which was really helpful considering I had so little experience yet. She just helped me believe that I could achieve anything I wanted to, which I feel like is how I got here to the U."
GS: What is your most memorable moment of your diving career?
Fick: "Winning State my senior year definitely. My mom was actually in the hospital the week before and we didn't know if she'd be able to come, but the night that I won, she was there for the whole meet. After I won, I was able to go up, give her a hug and just thank her for always encouraging me and being there for me. I had a lot of people there encouraging me and that was just by far the most amazing moment I've had."
Phillip: "It was probably my first senior Nationals at Ohio State. I think it was my first meet with Wenbo because I was on the club team here at Minnesota and I ended up finaling, which was actually pretty shocking to a lot of people because I was one of the youngest people to final. That's when I knew I belonged and that I definitely could be a very good diver some day."
Fish: "Sophomore year at high school Sections, which was my first year diving. Quitting gymnastics had been really hard for me, since I had wanted to do gymnastics in college and it felt like all of a sudden that dream seemed to go away. Then, at sections, I ended up placing fourth which qualified me to State. I was the only one on my team that qualified, and at that moment I almost felt like I was starting to redeem myself. I just felt like that was the moment where I realized that I could do something big, and it gave me a lot of hope, when before I had felt like my identity had been taken away when I had to stop gymnastics."
GS: How has the transition from high school to college been treating you thus far, and what has been the biggest change you have noticed?
Fick: "Time management has been the biggest challenge thus far. Knowing that I need to get sleep, but I also need to study hard, have time to get to practice and just fully invest myself in each aspect of what I'm going for right now."
Phillip: "Honestly, the transition has been pretty easy because of COVID-19 and everything. There are certain aspects that are hard because it's not a normal college life, but overall it's been pretty easy so far. The hardest change has been having so much free time, but also having to be on lectures at certain times and having so many things at once."
Fish: "I guess the biggest challenge for me has been school. I didn't anticipate my classes being this difficult, and having to figure everything out on my own instead of having a teacher or somebody I can talk to has been tough for me so far."
GS: Being a Gopher is about more than just scoring points in the pool. What is a quality you have brought to Minnesota that you think will bolster this Gopher culture?
Fick: "I think of myself as a friendly person. I always try to look for opportunities to encourage somebody whenever they're having a tough day or tough practice, so I would say encouragement. and determination. I've also been told that people feed off of my determination and it makes them want to be better, so I hope to bring that as well."
Phillip: "I want to be someone that anyone can go to. I want to be someone who people look up to, but also someone who people can come to if they need anything or even if they just need a friend. I just want to be known as someone who loves everyone and is not just a good athlete, but a good friend too while also helping the team with my GPA. I just hope I get good grades while being a good athlete, student and friend."
Fish: "I'm a hard worker. I like to complete assignments and workouts completely and to the highest quality I can, so I hope that I can help bring that out in everybody on the team."
GS: What is something you are looking forward to in your time as a Gopher?
Fick: "I'm excited to get to know everyone better, but also, I've got big goals. I would really like to win the Big Ten Championships some day, that's a huge goal for me. I want to have the opportunity to be a light and encourage others on the team as they're coming up as well."
Phillip: "I'm looking forward to all the new people I'll meet and all the friendships I'll make on the team, but also all the accomplishments, both individually and as a team through academics and athletics. I'm looking forward to all of the memories, accomplishments and things like that."
Fish: "I'm excited to meet more people who are similar to me, both athletically and academically. Also, I'm just really excited to have a consistent practice schedule. Over the past few years that's something I haven't had, and so I think consistent practice and coaching will help me become the best diver I can be."
GS: Outside of training, how do you mentally prepare for meets?
Fick: "Before meets I don't have any rituals or anything like that, but every time I get up on the board for a dive, I pray that God will give me strength and that he will help me to crush each dive. That's really the only consistent thing I have."
Phillip: "I don't have a specific thing I do, I just try and not freak out before each meet. I always have to remind myself that it's fun because I love doing it. That this shouldn't be stressful, it's for fun. I know I'm competing at a high level, but I always remind myself before meets that it's for fun, and whatever happens, it's fine. I just try to go into every meet having fun and enjoying myself because I always compete better that way."
Fish: "Honestly, I just try to almost turn my brain off. I completely ignore everything and everybody around me, and I don't watch anybody else dive besides my teammates. If I can think about diving as little as possible, I tend to perform a lot better."
Follow Swim & Dive
Support Swim & Dive
"fish" - Google News
November 19, 2020 at 01:25AM
https://ift.tt/3fa88KD
Freshmen Spotlight: Josiah Fick, Susanna Fish and Megan Phillip - GopherSports.com
"fish" - Google News
https://ift.tt/35JkYuc
https://ift.tt/3feFffJ
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Freshmen Spotlight: Josiah Fick, Susanna Fish and Megan Phillip - GopherSports.com"
Post a Comment