Hurricane on 10-meter - Diver Spotlight on Kyle Prandi

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It was a culmination of many things that led Kyle Prandi to the University of Miami. The school offered small class sizes and personal interaction between students and professors, sunny south Florida weather and diving.

When Prandi first stepped on the pool deck, the Hurricanes' team boasted elite athletes such as Bryan Gillooly, Chris Mantilla, Rio Ramirez, Janelle Benda, Jenny Keim and Emily Spychala. Hungary's Imre Lengyel and Germany's Stefan Ahrens joined the squad with Kyle in the fall of 1998.

"I was excited to be in Miami with new coaches (Randy Ableman and Dario Di Fazio). I was starting to set goals and get really excited about diving," Prandi said. "Then I got a stress fracture."

Prandi had every reason to be excited. He was coming off his most successful U.S. Diving competitive season to date. After winning the bronze on platform and gold on synchronized platform at the 1998 Cinergy/PSI National Diving Championships in Indianapolis, Kyle followed up with a silver on the board at Summer Nationals in Atlanta. On the international scene, he was eighth on 10-meter at the Goodwill Games.

However, the demands of participating in three sports as a youth proved too much, and the result was two stress fractures on the same vertebrae.

"Prior to diving, I was a gymnast and ice skater," Prandi said. "The development I lived in had a pool, and my dad found a coach (Dave Suba) so I could dive in the summer.

"For one to two years, I ice skated before school and alternated afternoons between gymnastics and diving.

"I decided to stop ice skating, and in 1991 I made my first junior nationals in gymnastics and diving. The meets were on the same day. I went to the diving junior nationals in St. Louis, and gymnastics just faded out after that."

Never fading in diving, the Strongsville, Ohio native earned his first senior nationals berth (1995, Midland, Texas) just four years later. After placing ninth on 10-meter and narrowly missing a spot on the National Team, his confidence grew.

"I thought, wow, I can really be in there. I had something to work toward," Prandi said.

He did work, and over the next three years, Kyle had a roster spot on three national teams. He was fifth on platform at the 1996 Summer Nationals, fourth at the 1997 Spring and Summer Nationals and 1998 saw even greater success.

Prandi also worked through the stress fractures.

"I didn't know what to do with myself when I was injured," Prandi said. "It was the first time in my life when I didn't have something to do every day.

"I couldn't do anything. It was hard to walk, sit and even lay down at the height of the injury. It was debilitating and disheartening."

But, support and determination had Kyle back on 10-meter in time for the 1999 season and ready for the Olympic Trials in 2000. He entered the Trials coming off a bronze-medal performance at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Championships; and although he was eighth on the board at Trials, Prandi found a way to be positive.

"If you know you gave 100 percent each day, then you can't be upset because you gave it your all. You have to accept the outcome, even if it's painful," Prandi said.

"Diving requires such a high level of physical activity, and you can only compete at that level for a short part of your life. You have to be focused and set goals. Some things will come your way and some won't.

"You've accomplished so much just reaching that high level. You have to have other outlets to satisfy yourself."

For Kyle, those outlets are the ocean and rollerblading.

"I love the ocean. It's so calming for the soul. It's cleansing for the mind, body and spirit," Prandi said.

One person who did make the Olympic Team in 2000 was Michelle Davison. After the Games, Davison joined Prandi at Miami.

"Michelle and I are long-time friends. We met when we were 11 at the Kentucky Invitational. We were pen pals," Prandi said. "I was excited when she transferred. I always told her she would be welcome."

It's often said that being teammates with great divers raises the level of intensity at practice. Practice is routinely compared to competition and given credit for the success one experiences at events. With world-class divers as teammates, it's no wonder Kyle continues to find success, and he had one of his best competitions in 2001.

"It [the FINA/USA Diving Grand Prix] was totally unexpected. I was sick the week prior to the meet. I wasn't practicing, I was in the middle of finals and I was moving," Prandi said. "I went to Coral Springs between finals to practice. I didn't even know if I'd compete. I didn't feel strong.

"Diving can be so up and down. You just try to minimize your bad days. I dove really consistently, but I didn't do my best. I just landed on my head six times in a row. You have to be consistent."

Kyle's consistency led to a silver medal on platform and a victory over Tian Liang of China, the 2000 Olympic gold medalist.

Prandi's goals for 2001 were to win the 10-meter gold at the NCAA Division I Championships and make the World Championships team - both were realized. Although he isn't telling his goals for 2002, Kyle tells younger divers to realize what they have to do to reach their goals and make them a reality.