By Sydney Brammer
The sport of dive is an individual sport, and Redwood High School’s team is full of talent. April 27, 2022, the dive team competed in West Yosemite League and a lot of the team’s individuals placed.
Dani Palma, ’23 placed third, Mikael Gonzales, ’23 fifth, Alejandra Gutierrez, ’24 sixth, Brooke Navarrette, ’23 ninth, Cole Pritchett, ’22 seventh, Eli Bradshaw sixth, and Diego Rodrigues, ’25 tenth.
Placing fifth, Gonzales’ routine consisted of a front 1 and 1/2, a back layout, reverse somersault, an inward flip, and a front 1 and 1/2 twist.
Gonzales says, “This season, our goal is to win Valley. We have been preparing for this moment the whole season. Our coach has pushed us to do our best and has continued helping us perfect our dives.”
Photo courtesy of Aidan Hatch, Gigantea staff
She adds that with winning Valley, they hope to have all Redwood dives place in the top three.
According to Redwood’s dive coach, Andrew Brown, Palma went undefeated going into WYL and aimed to be the defending champion, but fell short just under four points.
Palma’s routine consisted of a front 1 and 1/2, back 1 and 1/2, inward 1 and 1/2, and a reverse semi.
Brown’s goal for this team this season is to form a sense of unity and discipline within his small crew. He says, “To create an environment that the divers would want to come to practice and improve.”
Two divers that have stood out to Brown this season are Palma and Rodrigues. Rodrigues being a freshman and new to the team, Brown is proud of how much he’s improved. Brown says, “From never doing dive, to making varsity in a matter of a season.”
Regarding Palma and all that she’s achieved thus far, Brown says, “Even though mistakes were made, her drive to finish strong and keep her head up was amazing, a true athlete.”
“Diving is a very different sport that people are used to being involved in. It’s need to be technical and graceful at the same time makes this sport so hard for people to excel in.”
Redwood dive coach Andrew Brown
The team moves on to Valley May 4.
Sydney Brammer
Sydney Brammer, '22 is currently in her fourth year writing for the Redwood Gigantea. She has a strong passion for featuring the humans of Redwood, and enjoys putting the spotlight on the underdog. She has written for the Visalia Times Delta and Sungazette Sports. You can reach her by email at sydneybr17@gmail.com.
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