2012-13 College Swimming & Diving Honors
Diving Career Improvement Kelly Hendricks
by Erin Fuss
Walt MIddleton Photography
Four years ago, long before her time competing at the World Championship Trials, or even the NCAA National Championships, Kelly Hendricks made her debut on the pool deck at Eastern Michigan University (EMU). Little did she know what great things would come of it. Diving at EMU was the first time Hendricks focused solely on the sport. Besides diving, Hendricks also competed in track and field and gymnastics. When she came to EMU, she spent her freshman year behind many of her peers “Coming to college, I really had no idea of the basics,” Hendricks said. “I didn’t know the same basic skills everyone else did. I struggled
with even simple moves off the 3meter and 1-meter.” Despite this learning curve, Hendricks progressed quickly through the ranks. She was described as a natural, and gives credit to her maturity, competitiveness and her coach, Loren “Buck” Smith to her success. Smith saw the potential in Hendricks,
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and through the years the duo worked to best maximize this. “When she first walked on deck, I remember her being really athletic,” Smith said. “But she didn’t know the basics, she didn’t even know how to hold her hands right. Despite that she was one of the quickest learners I ever had. She was quite the natural.” As Hendricks developed more as an athlete, she quickly shot through the ranks of elite divers. Through her competitive drive and extreme focus on honing her skills, she became one to watch. At her first national meet, it became clear to her coach that Hendricks had a talent that exceeded many others. continued on next page....