More than 2,000 miles separate Mary Beth Dunnichay’s home in Elwood from synchronized diving partner Haley Ishimatsu’s in Seal Beach, Calif.
Their 10-meter platform routine demands a nearly perfect synergy of rhythms. It is, essentially, a choreographed ballet performed in mid-air while simultaneously plunging toward the water.
The judges produce five scores for each dive, and three of them rely solely on synchronization. So the slightest variation from one diver to the next can mean the difference between a podium finish and an empty-handed return trip home.
This spring and summer, Dunnichay and Ishimatsu’s task was even more difficult.
A shoulder injury kept Ishimatsu from competing in several FINA Grand Prix events, and the duo enjoyed precious little time practicing together.
But Dunnichay said their experience training together in the two years leading up to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing was more than enough to fill the gap.
She worked on her routine in Indianapolis while Ishimatsu worked on the same steps, twists and turns near San Diego.
“We know how each other trains,” Dunnichay said. “We know our timing. We just visualize and imagine standing next to each other.”
There’s no arguing the results.
Dunnichay and Ishimatsu won a silver medal at the FINA Aquatics World Championships on July 19 in Rome, Italy. It was the highest finish for the duo at a World Cup or World Championships event.
Dunnichay said she was extremely proud of the team’s performance, but she stopped short of saying it was the best of their career.
“I thought we put together a really good list,” she said. “We had fun, and we did the best we could. But I think we could have done even better. There’s always room for improvement.”
The trip home wasn’t quite so smooth.
The divers and their traveling party were supposed to have a direct flight from Rome to Washington, D.C. But as the flight neared the United Kingdom, the crew noticed a burning smell in one of the bathrooms.
“We were getting ready to fly over the ocean,” Dunnichay said. “And they said that’s not a problem you want when you’re flying over the ocean.”
So the plane was forced to land in Ireland, where fire trucks were waiting on the runway.
“It was kind of scary,” Dunnichay said. “I was thinking, ‘What’s going on?’”
The problem was fixed, and the team members flew on to London, where they stayed overnight. Dunnichay caught a 2 p.m. flight to Washington and had a 4 1/2-hour layover before boarding a flight to Indianapolis.
She arrived late Monday night and was welcomed by her two brothers, her sister, her sister’s fiancé and her boyfriend. It was the first time she’d seen them in a little over three weeks.
“It was such a relief,” Dunnichay said. “I was so excited to see everyone.”
Now she’ll finally get a chance to relax. She’s headed out for a vacation at the end of the week, and she’s not sure when she’ll compete again.
She’ll listen to her coaches and return to the pool when the time is right.
“I’m taking it easy right now,” Dunnichay said.
Despite the obstacles before them, Dunnichay and Ishimatsu have cemented their status as the top 10-meter team in the U.S.
Dunnichay said she never even considered looking for a new partner while Ishimatsu’s injury healed, and she likes their chances of returning to the Olympics in 2012.
“Even though we train across the country, we can still be the best in the country,” she said before pausing and adding, “and the second-best in the world.”
Local Sports
Related Photos
-
Alessandra Tarantino
Discussion
Dunnichay, Ishimatsu dominate despite distance between them
- Local Sports
-
-
Tribe triumphs
The Anderson Lady Tribe brought their best defense in Friday night’s semifinal battle against New Castle and rolled to a 56-31 victory to advance to the final of Class 4A Sectional 9 against Pendleton Heights.
-
Wertz rallies Arabians to final
Pendleton Heights junior guard Tiffany Wertz sparked a fourth-quarter rally in girls sectional basketball play Friday and lifted the Arabians into tonight’s title game. PH scored 29 points in the fourth quarter and erased a six-point deficit with five minutes to play in a 63-51 win over Richmond.
-
Broncos advance to finals
Daleville’s girls basketball team pounded Wes-Del for a third time this season, defeating the Warriors 39-11 to earn a berth in the sectional championship tonight against Southern Wells.
-
Winchester's final run fells Frankton
Girls basketball season came to an end Friday for the Frankton Eagles, but it didn’t end quietly. Frankton fell to the Winchester Golden Falcons 60-51 in the Class 2A Sectional 40 semifinals at Shenandoah High School.
-
Elwood better but can't best Tipton
While the final score of 80-46 may not indicate it, there were some improvements for the Elwood girls basketball team in its rematch against the Tipton Blue Devils on Friday night in the semifinals of the Class 2A Sectional 39 at Madison-Grant.
-
Argylls' season runs out of gas in semis
It would not be too hard to pinpoint exactly when things went wrong for the Madison-Grant girls basketball team Friday night in its sectional semifinal game against Eastern. However, identifying the cause of the team’s struggles would be more difficult. The Argylls’ hung tough for three quarters of the game, but fell apart in the fourth with a perfect storm of problems, resulting to a 56-38 loss to end their season.
-
Indians advance to finals
Photos from the sectional semifinal at Greenfield-Central on Friday.
-
Arabians come from behind to beat Red Devils
Photos from the sectional semifinal at Greenfield-Central on Friday.
-
Bearcats upend AHS
Often basketball is a simple game, and it was certainly true for the Anderson boys basketball team here Thursday night. “We had too many turnovers — that’s the game,” said AHS coach Joe Nadaline after the Indians lost to Muncie Central 54-46 for their eighth straight defeat.
-
Bulldogs topple Raiders, win 9th in a row
The Bulldogs keep on rolling. Lapel (16-3) led from start to finish as it beat visiting Shenandoah 69-47 Thursday night to push its winning streak to nine games.
- More Local Sports Headlines
-
