Jones finds freedom at three meters

What does one of Princeton's best divers say to herself as she stands three meters above the water, about to perform a series of airborne somersaults and twists which she hopes will culminate in a plank-straight body, a little splash and a dive that prompts all the onlookers to say "wow"?

"It's a little clichéd, but I usually take a deep breath and say, 'You only live once,' " diver Charlotte Jones said.

It is a motto the sophomore from Bedford, Texas, learned from her old coach, but for a sport that is so dependent on one crucial moment, it is very pertinent.

Jones is one of the best in Princeton's talented group of women divers. With the help of junior Michelle De Mond and freshmen Peggy Kearns and Katie Giarra, the Tigers have one of the most formidable diving squads in the Ivy League.

Jones begins this season with confidence carried over from last season, when she made an immediate splash as a freshman. In the 2004-05 season, she placed fifth in the Ivies and fourth in the annual Harvard-Yale-Princeton meet in the three-meter dive competition, Princeton's highest scorer each time. In the one-meter event, she placed 10th at Ivies and third at H-Y-P's and was the second-best Tiger finisher each time. Princeton fans have reason to entertain high expectations for this season, as Jones believes she has already improved.

"I feel much better going into this season," Jones said. "I know what to expect, and I know what I have to do."

One of the first goals Jones has is to compete well not only against other schools, but also against her teammates in a friendly rivalry. She draws her motivation both from her own performances and from the squad's as a whole.

"It's hard having [the freshmen] beat you," Jones said, referring to Princeton's most recent meet against Rutgers, in which Giarra and Kearns both beat her in the one-meter competition, though Jones won the three-meter. "Even if I don't win, I love to see Michelle do well ... and the freshmen, too."

More fun when she's high

Though she may allow the freshmen to slip past her in the one-meter standings, Jones dominates the top spot in the three-meter competition. As Princeton's star at three meters, Jones feels that the dive from the higher board gives her more freedom and creativity.

"At three meters, I get to stand out a little more and show my tricks," Jones said. "The levels of difficulty are a little higher, but you also get a little more leeway. It's just more fun."

During meets, Jones becomes very superstitious and has a set ritual between each dive. First, she focuses on a specific aspect of the dive that she or her coach has highlighted for improvement. She then takes a deep breath and repeats her old coach's motto.

"Swimming has a lot to do with mentality," Jones said.

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She explained that no matter how much time one puts into practicing dives, it can a mental slip or a lack of focus can cancel out all the effort. Even though she has spent hours and hours practicing her dives, the adrenaline rush while on the board during a meet never goes away.

"It's hard to be consistent," she said.

Though divers have only a few moments to perform, Jones still puts in effort to be recognized by another athlete or a spectator. A typical week for Jones includes two and a half hours of actual diving for five days, with a sixth day and extra early morning practices devoted to "dry-land" work, like plyometrics and abdominal exercises.

"With all the twists and turns we do, you have to have a strong core," Jones said.

Like many divers, Jones began with gymnastics. She was an active gymnast until age 13, when an injury forced her off the mat and into the water.

Diving and gymnastics both emphasize mental focus, airborne moves and landings. Many of the qualities of a good diver, such as strength, flexibility and kinesthetic judgment, are also found in good gymnasts. For Jones, the transition was natural.

Jones has strong goals for this season for the team and for herself. She wants to make the finals for both the one and three meter dives, but she also thinks Princeton can place three or four divers in the finals in each event.

"And we need to beat Harvard," she said, referring to how last year's Crimson squad won both H-Y-P's and the Ivy League title, something Princeton had done the previous five years. With Jones towering three meters above the pool, the Tigers appear to be in good position to take down Harvard.