Senior Becomes First RU Diver to Qualify for Nationals

Caroline Knopke had to wait until her last year as an undergraduate to check off an important box.

The senior from Overland Park, Kansas, said she grew up diving - "it's the only sport I've really ever known," she said - and competed through high school. When it came time to choose a college, she found herself drawn to Rockhurst University. But that meant the end of her competitive diving career (though she would still coach a local girls' team). Until this year.

This week, Knopke became the first member of the Rockhurst University swim and dive team, now in its inaugural season, to qualify for NCAA Division II national competition after placing 14^th out of 49 contestants in the preliminary round in Geneva, Ohio. The national competition begins Saturday.

It was a moment she had long been preparing for. The day of the meet, Knopke said, she felt good about her chances.

"I have been practicing really hard the past few weeks and that work really paid off," she said. "I was diving very consistently and earning a lot of points for every dive, so I had a feeling that I had a good shot at making it in."

That's not to say there wasn't a bit of suspense after she finished her last dive.

"We had to wait a little bit after the (preliminary) meet finished to hear the results, but once I found out I had made it I was beyond excited," she said. "I had no expectations going into this meet because I was proud of myself for even making it this far, but once I found out I did it I was filled with joy and excitement."

It's been a long journey for Knopke. When Rockhurst University was looking to expand its athletic offerings, Knopke made her voice heard, pulling for swim and dive in the hopes of finishing her undergraduate career as a student-athlete in the sport she loved. To not only see that dream come true, but also to have become part of a tight-knit, supportive team, means a lot, she said. And she said she thinks all of the success the team has had in its first year bodes well for its future.

"It has been a tremendous honor to check off this goal that I had and not have any regrets," she said. "I know that there are only positives to come for this new program and I can't wait to see all the amazing things my teammates are going to do the next couple of years."

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