The Cottonwood Outdoor Pool didn’t have a swimming meet scheduled on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Then again, host Mingus Union High School didn’t have a diving team scheduled for this season either.
Both worked out well for the Marauders in their double dual wins over Coolidge High School and Gilbert Christian School, 43-13 and 42-21, respectively.
It was a nice bounceback victory for MUHS after being overwhelmed by 150 points Thursday, Sept. 3, by the much larger numbers of Verrado High School in their opening meet.
“I don’t think the trepidation of the meet had worn off,” said Kyle Lathom, new MUHS diving coach, after the Verrado meet. “They were relieved, but even though they were done, it was like, what now? That’s to be expected.”
Lathom’s eight core divers were a little more relieved and confident Sept. 8 after being able to dive on their own under his supervision, he said.
“They were a little more sure of what they were doing, especially with me running it. I couldn’t be happier with their progress.”
Lathom, who moved to Cottonwood last year to become athletic director at Oak Creek Ranch School and director of the charter-based Northern Arizona Athletic Association, decided to coach the MUHS diving team “in my spare time” after head swimming coach Gretchen Wesbrock started looking for divers the first couple of weeks of school.
“Honestly, I can’t take credit for any of it,” he said. “I showed up at the first day of practice and introduced the idea.”
Five swimmers chose to give diving a shot that first day, and over the next few days, word spread and three girls with gymnastics and tumbling backgrounds joined, to form a core of eight Marauders slated to competitively dive in at least two invitationals this season.
For the full story, season schedule and more photos, please see the Wednesday, Sept. 9, issue of the Cottonwood Journal Extra.
