Ellie Cole dives into NCAA record books

Ellie Cole set a new National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) record when she defeated the field by more than 50 points while competing for Stanford University’s diving team over the weekend.

Cole, a New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder, smashed the NCAA record that was set 13-years-ago, by scoring 399.80 points.

The 19-year-old freshman dominated the event, and when she prepared for her fifth and final dive of the meet at Georgia Tech’s McAuley Aquatic Center she needed just 28 points to win. Cole nailed the dive and rewrote the record set by USC’s Haley Ishimatsu in 2013.

The Australian Olympian said ‘fun’ was her catchcry throughout the event, and that wanting to do well for her ‘family’ pushed her to victory.

“I was definitely a little bit nervous going into it, because I knew I could do really well, and I wanted to go out and show what I could do and perform at my best,” Cole said. “I told myself, just have fun with it. I really want to enjoy the competition, enjoy the atmosphere. It’s my first time here experiencing this, so I just really wanted to have fun with it. And I think I did that.”

“The one key thing about Stanford is our unity. The team it’s just like family. It’s so special to be able to share these moments with them. And at training, we’re all having fun.

“We have jam out sessions in the locker room. It’s just one big family. And I think that’s something that differs Stanford from a lot of schools.”

NSWIS