Bee Diver of the Year Sondeno made fun the focus of her final season

Natasha Sondeno inches toward the edge of the board, slowing her breathing as she goes over the script one last time.

Her back is to the pool, heels suspended in the air. This alone would make the novice diver queasy.

Truth is, these types of advanced dives, called “optionals,” still give Sondeno the chills, too.

“Can I be honest? I’m terrified of almost every aspect of diving,” she said. “I’m terrified of spinning, terrified of heights, super scared of hitting the board and smacking. But the best thing about diving is that it teaches you to face your fears. If you never face your fears, you’ll never conquer them.”

In a fraction of a second, Sondeno, the torch-bearing diver for the Stanislaus District, will vault herself into the air, flipping 1 1/2 times back toward the board.

She’ll fold herself into pike position – legs straight, upper body folded over like paper – before piercing the water like a pelican hunting fish.

No one in the Stanislaus District has been better at executing acrobatic flight and splash-less entry off the 1-meter board. For the second year in a row, Sondeno is the All-District Diver of the Year after returning to the CIF State Swimming and Diving Championships.

The recent Pitman High School graduate led the final after five dives and finished 14th with a career-best score of 435.95.

Diving coach Robert Wimberly was pleased with Sondeno’s success this spring. She suffered a thumb injury during a skiing accident in February that prohibited her from headfirst entries for more than a month.

“I was surprised she was able to get back up to the level that she was before the injury,” said Wimberly, who coaches with Delta Valley Diving, San Joaquin Delta College and St. Mary’s High in Stockton. “It was nice to see the training we had done prior to the injury had stuck with her.”

Sondeno will continue her diving career at San Jose State, where she will compete on scholarship.

That was one of her goals as a junior, often the most important year for a student-athlete with next-level hopes.

Sondeno worked hard to boost her recruitment, driving 40 minutes daily to the Bay Area and Stockton to train three hours with various clubs. She eventually linked up with Wimberly, who focused as much on dry-land workouts as board time.

Her strength helped her post career-best scores at the Sac-Joaquin Section and state competitions this spring.

Sondeno placed second at the section meet with a score of 427.95, trailing Molly Wilson of St. Francis by a mere three points. That mark also earned Sondeno All-America consideration.

“I’ve been working hard on weight training,” Sondeno said. “Really trying to get my body into the best shape I can … to use the power in my legs and get the best jump I can.”

While she ramped up her training, Sondeno was careful to keep a healthy balance. In an individual sport as precise and technical as diving, Sondeno admits the pressure to perform – the pressure to perfect – can be overwhelming.

Most of the time, divers are hampered by mental blocks, not physical ability.

“Diving is very mental; probably one of the most mental sports out there,” Sondeno said. “Getting into your own head is something we all have to deal with.”

So Sondeno’s goal this season wasn’t to vie for section or state titles, but to smile more, perform for family and friends and enjoy the journey no matter where it took her.

“Being that this was my senior year, my biggest goal was to definitely have fun,” she said. “I wasn’t too worried about trying to qualify for anything. It was more like, ‘OK, let’s see what we can do and see how far we can go.’

“Making it back to state was a positive thing to come out of that. Having a more relaxed attitude really helped contribute to that. Being stressed out, I definitely dive a lot worse. I think that goes for any sport.”

Sondeno is doing her best to share that message with the future of diving in the Stanislaus District before she leaves for college. She works as a swimming and diving instructor and enjoys being a role model to the children in her charge. Even the ones too afraid to leave the pool deck.

“Did you know I’m terrified about everything in diving?” Sondeno told a 7-year-old pupil, anchored to the coping.

“No way,” said the young diver.

“Yeah way! I’m scared of heights,” Sondeno snapped back, a smile gracing her face.

“Well, if you can do it, I can do it,” the little girl said as she climbed the board.

“Yeah, it can be stressful and it makes you nervous,” Sondeno said. “But when you hit a dive, you come up with the best feeling. You know you did well, and you know everyone else knows you did well. All the practice is worth it for that moment.”

This story was originally published June 22, 2016 at 6:08 PM with the headline "Bee Diver of the Year Sondeno made fun the focus of her final season."