When she is not manipulating physics while hurtling toward a
pool, Regan Gosnell enjoys photography.
“I just think that being able to capture history and
memories in a split second is phenomenal,” the co-captain of
the UCLA diving squad said.
It is fitting that Gosnell would be so interested in
photography. In her sport, the instant it takes for a shutter to
flicker can mean the difference between a championship and a
catastrophe.
“I love it,” the senior said. “Diving gives me
something to strive for, something to put effort into.”
Diving also gives her a family away from her parents, whom she
left in Potomac, Maryland to come to UCLA.
The 3,000-mile trip across the country to Westwood began when
Gosnell started to consider California as a destination for
college. Looking through a college guide her senior year of high
school, she discovered UCLA for the first time.
Gosnell was recruited by head coach Tom Stebbins, who knew her
club diving coach from college where the two coaches competed
against each other.
“Regan is part of my first recruiting class,”
Stebbins said. “The first time I talked to her, I knew she
was a great student and a great talent. She is someone I
immediately wanted to be part of my program.”
Gosnell has had an acclaimed diving career at UCLA. The senior
diver has placed in the top 10 at the Pac-10 championships each of
the previous three seasons. So far in 2003, she has been consistent
from the three-meter platform. Gosnell placed third at the Trojan
Diving Invitational in November and took home silver at the Bruin
Diving Invitational in January.
As the season progresses, she is only getting better.
“I have learned to control my anxiety to a much better
degree,” the diver said. “And that gives me a much
better opportunity to compete the way I know how.
“Having four years behind me and knowing what it feels
like to compete and who I am competing against makes it a lot
easier. Pac-10s are coming up, and there is no reason why I should
not do really well.”
Coming from the East Coast, Gosnell had not heard of the rivalry
with USC, which the swim and dive team renews Saturday at Southern
Cal.
“I was introduced to the rivalry quite early,”
Gosnell said. “Starting with fall quarter of my freshman
year, every meet or game or match against ‘SC seemed to be a
huge rallying point for the entire athletic department. I learned
very quickly that any time UCLA played USC, it was something very
important and very substantial that the entire school thinks
about.”
The rivalry does not carry the same intensity in diving,
however, since the diving community is so small that the opponents
are often friends.
“We all know each other, so there is no hatred
there,” Gosnell said.
“We definitely gear up for ‘SC though,” she
added. “Our rivalry is not as big as the swim team’s,
so we kind of play off their enthusiasm.”
Saturday is Gosnell’s final meet before the Bruins begin
postseason tournaments. The senior couldn’t ask for a better
scenario.
“It is great that my final hurrah is against
‘SC,” she said. “There will be so many parents
and friends there. I really couldn’t imagine a better way to
end.”
Among the crowd on Saturday will be Gosnell’s parents, who
are making the trip from Maryland to see their daughter’s
final Pac-10 meet.
Hopefully they will remember to bring a camera.