Diver Mulcare contributes as leader for women's swimming

When you're part of a diving program that has graduated standouts like Erin Lutz '01 and currently boasts senior Danielle Stramandi on the roster, it's hard to excel. In fact, senior diver Mary Mulcare readily admits that "competition isn't my forte."

Yet perhaps it is Greg Gunn, head coach of the men and women's diving team, who best understands Mulcare's role on the swimming and diving team.

"Mary is a people person first," Gunn said.

Mulcare embraces her role on the team.

"I love to cheer and support everyone," Mulcare said. "It's where I can contribute most to this group."

Judging from the admiring words of her teammates, who elected Mulcare co-captain this year, Mulcare is excelling at the position.

"I've never seen Mary frown, ever," junior swimmer Maura Bolger said.

Mulcare, now in her final season of competing in the oneand three-meter springboard for Princeton, has come a long way from when she first started diving as a seven-year old at the local pool in Greenwich, Conn.

Unlike many divers, gymnastics did not play a major role in her diving development. She found diving instead because it was one of many aquatic sports offered at the pool.

"You could definitely have labeled me a 'pool rat,' " Mulcare said.

Her interest in the sport soon took off, as she seized sporadic opportunities to polish her skills.

"Actually, a lot of my diving was self-taught during summer days playing around on the boards," Mulcare said. "I wanted to try new things."

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Although Mulcare was practicing year-round by the age of 12, it was not until she began diving for Greenwich High School that she grounded her commitment in the sport.

"It was actually the swimming coach of my high school team that really pushed me to excel in diving," Mulcare said. "He was responsible for pushing me to practice longer hours, teaching me how to be a competitor and teaching me how to be the leader of a team. While he didn't know much about the sport of diving itself, he knew what it took to be a good athlete."

Mulcare's diving took off. She earned all-state honors her senior year and captained her team to its fourth consecutive state title.

Mulcare was instantly attracted to Princeton's diving program, partly because a few members of her club team were swimming for Princeton and partly because of the team itself, particularly Gunn's unorthodox coaching style.

"He is constantly changing our approaches and coaching different aspects of a dive," Mulcare said. "While many get annoyed at his continual changes, I think it keeps things interesting. I think it has made me a much better diver."

In fact, Gunn credits Mulcare's steady improvement to her training perseverance.

"She is very determined in her day-to-day training without being overly consumed by the daily results," Gunn said.

Mulcare has steadily improved, and last year, she scored personal lifetime bests on both the one and three-meter springboard. She was awarded the "Friends of Princeton swimming and Diving Award" for her dedication and improvement during the 2000-2001 season.

It is this unyielding commitment to the members of both the swimming and diving teams, a group Mulcare calls "a tight family," that has so impressed and inspired her teammates and that has earned her the reputation of a "people person."

"She always has time to stop to talk and ask how things are going," junior Margaret Hirce said. "Mary's positive energy makes her a great captain."

"She leads our team more than just on the pool deck," Bolger added. "Her job and community service is a great example for us all."

Bolger alludes to Mary's commitment to servicing the community as an Emergency Medical Technician.

As if practicing five days a week for two hours and devoting countless Saturdays to meets is not enough, Mulcare is also a member of the Princeton First Aid and Rescue.

"Diving brings me into the heart of the Princeton world," Mulcare said. "EMT work brings me back to reality."

Sporting both a pager and radio at all times, she stands ready to respond to emergency calls day and night. She even traveled to New York to provide aid to victims of the September 11 tragedy. Even though Mulcare also works an overnight shift every two weeks and occasionally volunteers on Saturdays, she doesn't bemoan the long hours, and seems upset only by the fact that she does not have more time to devote to EMT work.

"It is one of the most rewarding experiences," Mulcare said. "When a woman you have brought to the hospital starts crying — not because she is hurt or sick — but because she is so thankful for the care she has received, it makes all the efforts worth it."

Mulcare is quick to see how this corresponds to her role on the team.

"It's much the same with the swim team — every time you get a thank you for helping someone out, touch someone's life, it makes all the time and effort and training worth it."