Something To Do - Diver Spotlight on Erin Quinn

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Bob Quinn thought his daughter had a natural swing and he tried to help her develop a love for the links. But in the end, Erin, the chatty, social butterfly, found the diving well to be more of a home than the golf course.

"I was in gymnastics, but eventually I had so many injuries that it wasn't worth it," Quinn said. "Basically I started diving because I was too social for golf and I needed something to do."

That "something to do" began the metamorphosis that would shape Erin's path.

When a job transfer necessitated a move from Nebraska to Ohio, the Quinn family settled in Toledo - a one-hour drive in one direction for her father to work and a one-hour drive in the opposite direction for Erin to dive.

"My mom (Cindy) became very involved in my diving," Erin said. "Every Monday through Thursday and Sunday she would drive me to practice with Kimball Divers. Scott Koening from the University of Arizona was also on my team then, and since he lived in Toledo too, we started a carpool.

"To this day, I don't think my mom has missed a single meet. My entire family has been incredibly supportive."

Erin's "family" grew when she became a Hoosier. Once she stepped on campus, the decision to attend Indiana University was almost instantaneous.

"IU was one of my last visits, but I just had a feeling that it was the place. I immediately got a sense of a family atmosphere," Quinn said. "Jeff (Huber) took divers who weren't really junior champs and turned them into national-level divers."

Erin was transformed into a national-level diver her first year donning cream and crimson. She placed sixth on 1-meter at the 1998 Summer Nationals to earn her first berth on the National Team. In the collegiate ranks, she was second on all three boards at the Big Ten Conference Championships and 13th on platform at the NCAA Championships that same year.

Following a second consecutive appearance on the National Team (7th on 3-meter, 1999 Spring Nationals), Quinn suffered a ligament tear in her elbow. Although she fought through the pain during Summer Nationals, Erin was unable to reach her goal - the 2000 Olympic Trials.

"It was frustrating because I had just made my first National Team on 3-meter," Quinn said. "I wanted to get through Summer Nationals and the international trips before I had surgery.

"I wanted to get points for Olympic Trials, but I didn't make it. I really wasn't able to train, and it was frustrating because I had worked hard to get where I was and I never thought I would get back there.

"Then I started having back pain, and I had elbow surgery. I thought my back just needed some rest, but it turned out I had a stress fracture and had to be in a back brace."

Out of the dive well for almost a year, Quinn felt lost, but one of her adoptive IU sisters helped her find her way.

"Kimiko (Soldati) helped a lot," Erin said. "She had shoulder surgeries before so she understood. She was really there for me when I was so frustrated."

After redshirting the 2000 collegiate campaign, Quinn was back strong for the 2001 USD season. A sixth and fourth place finish on 1-meter and 3-meter, respectively, at the Indoor Nationals left her out of the running for the World Championships team; however, Erin saw it as a blessing.

"I had only been training springboard up to that point, so missing the team allowed me to get some good training in and get back up on tower, Quinn said.

"Fort Lauderdale (Outdoor Nationals) was kind of lucky."

Erin was the silver medallist on 3-meter and placed fourth on platform at the outdoor event. Voted by the other competitors, she was bestowed the Athlete Performance Award.

A case of bicep tendonitis has kept Quinn from the 10-meter, but she has found a new home.

"I was so injury free for a while, but since my sophomore year at college, everything has snowballed. I had two cortisone shots before the World Cup Trials, and my arm has been great ever since," Erin said.

Quinn placed fourth on the springboard at the World Cup Trials - two spots shy of the World Cup Team.

"I knew I had to have a good prelim because my prelims always start slow," Erin said. "I was disappointed because I thought that was it."

With the individual roster set for the World Cup, participants were left to select their synchronized partners. Soldati, who made the team in both individual events, extended the 3-meter invitation to Erin.

"Kimiko and I dove synchro at nationals my freshman year at IU," Quinn said.

"I didn't want to think about Spain when we were at the Grand Prix, but I started to during the competition because we were doing so well."

"We were so close to medalling at the World Cup. We were frustrated but happy because we haven't had the opportunity to train together. We're staying synchro partners."

The World Cup Training Camp at the Woodlands, Texas was another life changing moment in Erin's diving career. This fall she will move to the Woodlands to train with Kimiko full-time.

"I've gotten so much more than I expected from IU," Quinn said. "I started just wanting to go on one international trip, and I've done so much more. I owe a lot to Jeff and the program. It was amazing.

"I'm excited to train with divers who are similar to my age with the same goals (at the Woodlands. Kenny (Armstrong) and I work well together, and I want his feedback. He's got passion on deck, and I'm really excited."

Another plus of moving to the Woodlands - the Quinn family supports the move. Not a surprising thing from two parents so dedicated to their daughter's "something to do."