Dec. 3, 2001

What do a half-second and a 105 pike have in common? For a diver, they are directly correlated as in that half-second the competitor has to complete a forward three-and-a-half somersault in the pike position and hit the water as straight as can be with as little splash on entry as possible in order to record decent scores for his or her team. Fortunately for UK diving coach Mike Lyden, the corps of divers that tag along with him to meets this season has been succeeding in recording high marks.

The UK divers entered this season with high expectations. The male divers had quite possibly the strongest pair of student-athletes to ever be on UK’s roster returning while the women had a very solid returnee and two highly touted freshmen entering. All this has added up to eight first-place finishes and 22 top-three finishes during the first half of the season.Junior Clayton Moss is the most decorated out of the group. Last year, Moss’ fourth-place finish on the one-meter earned him All-America honors while his 10th-place finish on the platform gave him honorable mention.

He also finished last season doing something that has rarely been seen around the Lancaster Aquatic Center – he became an SEC Champion on the one-meter, just the third UK male to win an SEC title. By the close of the 2001 season, Moss’ name was etched at the top of the one-meter dual, one-meter championship and three-meter championship lists.

This season, Moss has not let up. He has already claimed top honors in three different events, winning once on each of the one-, three- and 10-meter boards. His performance on the three-meter at the SEC East Extravaganza showed Lyden that there is no letting up in Moss.

“Clayton sees himself as one of the top divers in the nation,??? Lyden said. “His performance this season stands up to his own expectations.???

Fellow returnee Aaron Kirkpatrick also finished the 2000-01 campaign strong. An All-America honorable mention on the three-meter with a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Championships, he entered this season holding the top spot on UK’s all-time diving performance list on the one-meter dual while holding second on the three-meter championship and fourth on the three-meter dual and platform.

Among Kirkpatrick’s accomplishments this season are two consecutive first-place finishes on the one-meter, including a victory over Tennessee’s Junior World Champion Phillip Jones during the tri-meet with the Volunteers and LSU. He has also claimed third-place finishes three times this season, each coming in the event that Moss has won.

The third and final piece to the men’s mix is freshman John Collier. Though still working on equaling what the two upperclassmen have done, Collier continues to make the right adjustments to follow Lyden’s instructions to getting there.

The women’s squad had a few more question marks then the men did entering the season. Lyden saw two very accomplished divers in Sarah Fields and Carrie Knoeber complete the commencement exercises and walk away from the LAC with two UK records and their name on each of UK’s top-10 diving performances lists tucked away with their diploma. However, Lyden’s relentless recruiting and his ability to spot some of the best young talent around landed him two gems in freshmen Trisha Tumlinson and Alison Riccobono.

Even before stepping foot on the Lexington campus, Tumlinson’s resume was spectacular. As a High School All-America, the Spring, Texas, native had won the one- and three-meter boards at the Junior Olympic West Nationals and the platform at the Junior Olympic Summer and Senior Nationals.

This season, Tumlinson has gotten better with time. Sweeping top honors during the Louisville dual meet, just her third career collegiate meet, Tumlinson returned to the well at the Indiana Invitational and set the UK record on the platform.

“The changes from an age group and club diver into a collegiate diver have been difficult, but with each meet, Trisha’s consistency and level of diving have improved,??? Lyden said.

Riccobono, a two-time state champion out of Ypsilanti, Mich., also seems to be hitting her stride as the fall schedule comes to an end. Prior to being taken under Lyden’s careful watch, she had a second-place finish on the one-meter at JO East Nationals and a fifth-place on the same board at the JO Summer Nationals under her belt. Now with Lyden’s tutelage, she seems to be getting closer to garnering higher marks at every level.

Mentoring the two youngsters is junior Kelli Frost, the only returnee on the women’s squad. As with the other two, Frost seems to be hitting the water cleaner as the year continues. During the Indiana Invitational, Frost improved her lifetime best on the three-meter championship.

“The freshmen overall have improved significantly. We look forward to next semester and the improvements which should occur,??? Lyden said.