South Dakota Diver Refuses to Dive Again

April 21, 2022 Post a Comment

Jill Smolczyk could walk into Due south Dakota's Hall of Fame Friday. Literally.

She and husband, David, a fellow Coyote swimming & diving alum, live less than two miles from the Muenster University Center with their two daughters, Emma and Kora, and chocolate lab, Juneau. Their higher coach, Jason Mahowald, lives just down the road and could walk with them.

"We like small towns, the community and, obviously, we are familiar with Vermillion," said Smolczyk, who moved back to town a few years agone. Smolczyk works as a physical therapist at the Sanford Vermillion Medical Heart and David teaches at Jolley Uncomplicated School.

Jill Smolcyzk — Jill (correct) with sister, Amy, in loftier school.

That said, Smolczyk grew upward the eye child in a competitive family in Omaha, Nebraska. Her dad was a golfer in higher and mom played volleyball in high school. Smolczyk was a gymnast from ages 3 to x before finding diving. Her older sis, Amy, had fabricated the same transition.

"It started as a summer recreational league with swimming and diving competitions between the pools, and then information technology turned into more of a year-round thing later on that," said Smolczyk. "I'd say I simply enjoyed doing it. Flipping was fun. My sis and one of my other all-time friends were doing it too.

"I remember in high schoolhouse, nosotros were going to piece of work on a contrary 1-and-a-half. So I kicked once and I landed flat on my back, which if you end there, then you would never want to do it once more. But I got up and did it again and landed flat on my stomach. Information technology took a little fleck of fourth dimension to get over that one."

Thankfully, for the University of S Dakota, Smolczyk persevered past those first lessons and turned in a successful high school career. She placed 4th at the Nebraska state championship come across as a senior and wanted to continue diving in college despite not being heavily recruited to do then.

"I had a friend from high school who was going to USD, and some other friend who was a diver who was looking at USD," said Smolczyk. "I came on a visit and I liked it. I liked the experience of the community and the family unit temper of the squad. The members were close, supported each other and were actually good friends, and it was that overall feeling that seemed like the right decision."

The Coyotes' offset encounter of the 2004-05 season was a dual against UNI in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Smolczyk won both the 1- and 3-meter dives and qualified for nationals with 254.99 points in the ane-meter competition. It was the perfect start to an incredible career.

Smolczyk earned All-America honors in each of her first two seasons, placing fifth in the 1-meter dive in 2005 and seventh the post-obit year as a sophomore. As a inferior, she really took off. Afterwards winning NCC titles in both boards in 2007, she went on to accept bronze in both competitions at nationals.

Jill Smolcyzk

BUT Wait.

What old media guides and press releases won't tell y'all is that Smolczyk tore her labrum at the North Key Conference see that junior twelvemonth. Despite the injury, she continued at the NCC see, won both titles and earned her all-time finishes at the national meet.

"It injure, but I was going to compete anyhow," recalled Smolczyk. "I finished the season, had surgery in April, and they wouldn't let me dive again until Oct.

"My coaches would say that I was a behave to autobus that year, considering I was so broken-hearted to get back on the boards. More once they had to say 'no, you cannot dive today.'"

In reality, it wasn't until the team's holiday trip to San Diego that Smolczyk got shut to full strength. That was less than three months from the NCC championships and less than four months from the national run across.

She started dorsum on the 1-meter with easier dives before eventually getting back into flips. She chop-chop realized that she would have to take the opposite two-and-a-half out of her routine. The range of motion hadn't completely returned and information technology only didn't feel right. By Jan and February, everything started to click.

"My teammates were keen," said Smolczyk. "They were my biggest competitors and best friends at the same time. We had that in practise every solar day and we were always pushing each other to be better. Past the fourth dimension conference came around, I was feeling pretty good."

Smolczyk successfully defended her NCC titles in both events with teammates Emilie Kluth and Hannah Roetzel all scoring points on both boards. That led to ane last adventure at nationals.

"Before they even let me dive my senior year, my motorbus told me he idea I could win nationals this twelvemonth. And I was like, 'I tin't even dive yet. That'south not going to happen.'

"Nationals was at a completely new venue in Missouri and I remember I liked the feel of the boards. It was a nice facility."

The three-meter competition was Wednesday in Columbia. Smolczyk was solid in the prelims and held a slight lead going into the last dive of finals.

"I choked," said Smolczyk. "And I think in whatever other circumstance, you finish second in the nation and that'south awesome. But it had been in my sights, had a glimpse, high-strung, so yeah, I wasn't happy."

The 1-meter competition, the last of Smolczyk'southward collegiate career, was 48 hours later on Friday. A similar blueprint was made – practiced numbers in the preliminary dives and a lead heading into finals.

"Redemption on the one-meter," said Smolczyk. "I had a dorsum i-and-a-one-half for my last dive on the 1-meter. Information technology was a back two-and-a-one-half last on the 3-meter, so I had that in my mind continuing up there.

"I think it was still a shut contest. I was terminal to dive so I knew the range of score I needed to go. Even when I hit the water, I wasn't sure. I came upwardly, got to the wall, and so – celebration."

Two days afterwards settling for 🥈, Jill Smolczyk got one last shot for🥇.
Friday, Smolczyk enters the Southward Dakota Hall of Fame‼️ Check out her story here: https://t.co/3olvqFIK2o#WeAreSouthDakota | #GoYotes 🐾 pic.twitter.com/fUTgBHq3Ws

— South Dakota Coyotes (@SDCoyotes) September 11, 2019

Smolczyk was just the fourth NCC national champion diver on the women's side, and she remains USD's lone national champion in pond and diving. She was named 2008 NCAA Division II Women's Diver of the Year and finished as a half dozen-time All-American. In addition, she was one of thirty nominees for the 2008 NCAA Woman of the Year Laurels, which recognizes those who accept excelled in academics, athletics, community service and leadership.

On Fri, Smolczyk will join fellow inductees Jeana (Hoffman) Krome, Jenna (Hoffman) Kubesh, and Brian Alderson. In improver, special recognition will be given to the 1998 women's track and field team.

"I'k excited to be honored aslope some of the other athletes who were there during my time," said Smolczyk. "I remember the Hoffman sisters. We watched them play, and to be honored alongside a lot of those other great athletes and the ones who have come up before me is a big honor."

Jill Smolcyzk