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11/30/2016 11:00 PMThis year marked Noelle Bergere’s last season with the Hand girls’ swimming and diving squad and the senior diver saved her best for last by making some big-time history on the board.
Noelle, who’s also a member of Hand’s gymnastics squad, began her time as a Tigers’ diver in her sophomore year. In her final go-round this fall, Noelle not only set the school record for a six-dive routine in the regular season with her score of 265, she then broke Hand’s record for an 11-dive performance in the postseason by finishing second with a 439.3 at the Class L State Championship.
“I attribute my success to having a great team around me. Our coaches, Jen Lyman and Christina Forristall, were also great with coming to all of my diving meets,” says Noelle, who later placed 13th at the State Open. “I also owe it all to my teammates that keep cheering me on, and me and the other divers really rely on each other. It’s about consistency with my practices. You have to put in the time. You also have to have a positive outlook and mindset and then you’ll reap the results.”
When it comes to getting her mind right as she prepares for each dive, Noelle tries to not let any one moment seem too big. Instead, she just treats it just like she would in a practice or a warm-up.
“It’s important to stay calm, cool, and collected. The pressure of going up against 34 girls in the bigger meets can get to you. You have to stay consistent and treat every meet like the previous one,” says Noelle. “You don’t have to get worked up about one specific meet, and just do your best. The best thing to think is that you are going to put out 100 percent.”
Coach Lyman says that Noelle sets a template for success and camaraderie on Tigers with how hard she works, as well as the way she gets along with her teammates.
“Noelle’s humble, confident, competitive, and contagious personality is one we hope to find in every athlete we meet,” says Lyman. “It’s been such a dynamic season for her and the team. You saw how much her offseason training paid off this season not only in her dual meets, but also especially in postseason.”
The competitive atmosphere of gymnastics and diving are polar opposites in Noelle’s eyes. Still, Noelle has found the right way to get into her groove at the pool.
“From gymnastics to diving, the switch is challenging because gymnastics is so intense, where diving is a little more relaxed,” Noelle says. “The biggest hurdles to overcome were finding a rhythm with diving and nerves.”
Noelle is quick to thank everyone who’s helped her attain such impressive accolades at Hand. Even though her Tigers’ diving career is now behind her, Noelle is already talking about her offseason routine and how she wants to try to compete at the collegiate level.
“We have a great, welcoming team and, without them, I couldn’t have accomplished anything. The atmosphere of our team played into the record. It was an accomplishment for the team as much as it was for me. It demonstrated how hard we push each other. We work just as hard as any other team to reach our goals. I’m proud of myself, but the team pushed me this far,” says Noelle, who thanks Lyman, Forristall, and all of her Dive Haven club team coaches. “I hope to continue my diving career. I feel I haven’t reached my full potential yet. I want to get even better in the offseason and improve my three-meter lifts. I want to find a team in college and fit into a team and have the same support system I had here at Hand.”