Pei Lin looks to next season from 3-meters up

Though the collegiate swimming and diving season may have concluded mid-March, for Pei Lin this is just the start of training for next season. Lin, a junior pursuing a major in public health, has shown us for the third year in a row why she is the best at what she does.

Hailing from Guangzhou, China, Lin has represented Miami University on the Swimming & Diving team for the past three seasons. For an unprecedented three straight years, Lin has captured first place at the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championships in the 3-meter diving competition. This past March, the event was held at Miami's Aquatic Center.

"I was much more nervous this year. I get more nervous each year," Lin said, reflecting upon the difficulty and pressure of maintaining her title as MAC 3-meter diving champion.

In addition to retaining her title as MAC champion, Pei Lin was the sole representative for the Miami University Swimming & Diving team at the NCAA Championships that happened from March 15-18. After a second place finish for the second year in a row at the national championship event, Lin reflected on her efforts for the year. In addition to finishing second in the 3-meter event, Pei Lin finished seventh in the 1-meter event.

"I am very happy with the outcome, and especially with all the support from the team and my family."

With an already impressive diving resume, Lin trains hard even in the off season, incorporating both weight room exercises and practice dives into her training routine. Depending on the week, Lin spend upwards of 15 hours in the pool.

"We have worked very hard in the past. Each year, always improving. We are always looking to do better as a team, especially at the MAC championships," Lin describes the hard work and grit exhibited by her many teammates.

In the upcoming season, the diving team is looking to bring in four new team members after the graduation of several current seniors. Lin describes the team as "more of a family" when considering her relationship with her fellow RedHawks.

"Our coach always tells us that the team should be more like a family, and we try to support each other like that every day."

NCAA diving competitions are scored on a scale of 1-10 by a panel of judges that determine a winner based on a scoring criteria composed of technical components like toe/hand position and angle of entry into the water. Unlike other swimming events, the pool deck is serious and quiet during the diving events. The atmosphere is tense, but that doesn't stop Pei Lin from enjoying her time 3-meters above the cool, blue pool.

Lin struggles to put words together to describe the moment when she makes contact with the surface of the water.

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"It's hard to describe," she said. "It's an amazing feeling."

After graduation, Lin wants to pursue a graduate degree in public health that focuses on the areas of nutrition and athletic performance. For now, Lin looks to senior year and looks down from her position three meters above the pool.