PENDLETON, Ind. —
Arriving for a recent practice, Shenandoah senior Kate Hillman held up her arm to show Kevin Rockhill a temporary tattoo.
“Do you love it?” she asked playfully.
The Pendleton Starz diving club coach just shook his head and smiled.
Pressure is a foreign concept to Hillman.
“She’s finally realizing she’s pretty good,” Rockhill said before the workout at Pendleton Heights High School.
All it took to bring about this epiphany was the best score of her young career and ascension to the No. 1 ranking in the nation on the 1-meter board.
Hillman, who will head to Indiana University on a diving scholarship in the fall, works out with Rockhill for three to four hours per day, six or seven days a week.
She finished second at the IHSAA State Finals in February and was just getting warmed up.
At the USA Diving Spring Nationals on April 9-11 in Oxford, Ohio, Hillman scored 410.25 points on her nine-dive list. Her voluntary set is the most difficult in the nation, and she bettered her personal best (361.95) by nearly 50 points.
“It was amazing,” Rockhill said. “That was the best meet she’s ever had in her life.”
The score was good enough for second place on the 1-meter board, and Hillman rose to the top of the rankings. Her performance automatically qualifies her for the summer nationals during the last week of July in Tucson, Ariz.
She’ll compete at the zone meet in Rockford, Md., on the 3-meter board and the 10-meter platform July 1-3. A strong showing there would send her to nationals in those events as well.
There’s a quiet confidence surrounding her.
“I never really got nervous before meets,” she said. “It’s still really the same.”
Last summer, she finished 17th overall in the nation on platform and was runner-up in the 16-18 age group on 3-meter. She didn’t qualify for nationals on 1-meter in 2009.
“Last summer, I was on the road for six weeks,” she said. “I’d come back for four days or so, and then go right back out. You miss home, but I got to spend time with my diving friends. They become family.”
This year won’t be quite so busy.
Hillman’s elite showing in Ohio eliminates the need to compete in several qualifying events. She might make an appearance at the platform regionals June 13 in Bloomington. But only because she hasn’t competed in that event since last August.
“It’s always good to have a competition under your belt before it’s for all the marbles,” Rockhill said.
The Junior Worlds Team will be selected in Tucson, but Hillman remains focused on more immediate goals. She said she needs to improve her approaches, for starters.
The quest for perfection, after all, is never-ending.
“I expect as close to perfect as we can get,” Rockhill said. “If it’s not 10s, it’s not good enough, yet.”
Hillman came close at spring nationals, scoring a lifetime best on each of her dives.
Rockhill said there’s no doubt she’s ready for the summer, and it’s clear he can see big things on the horizon.
“Nobody I’ve coached has been more dedicated and worked harder for her goals than Kate has,” he said.
Hillman remains humble.
She talks about the excitement she feels for upcoming competitions, and she downplays her place atop the national rankings.
Ever her own harshest critic, she still must admit being No. 1 feels good.
“I always think I can improve,” she said. “But it makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something, too.”
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Related Photos
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Kate Hillman flies through the air while competing in the Athenian Invitational in January. Submitted Photo
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0424 Hillman 1.JPG Submitted photo
Discussion
Hillman rises to top of national rankings
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