Athletes and students alike can remember growing up dreaming about hitting the game-winning home run, shooting buzzer-beaters or throwing the winning touchdown pass in the big game. Not many, however, pretend they are shattering their schools 3-meter diving record.
Senior diver Austin Hampton’s passion for diving began during the summer when he was 7 years old. As a member of his pool’s swim team, Hampton said swimming just didn’t do it for him. So the child gymnast decided to trade flipping on mats for flipping off boards and flipped his way into N.C. State’s record book.
“It was a great accomplishment for sure and he was really excited about it,” coach Jenny Keim Johansen said. “It was at a level where he’s going to be able to compete nationally with some of the top male divers in the country. It’s also going to give him a little bit of confidence going into the post-season this year.”
The road to the record books was not exactly how many would picture it. In his four years at State, Hampton has had four different coaches–a difficult thing to deal with for any athlete. As a freshman, the St. Petersburg, Fla. native set the school record for the 11-dive championship score on the 3-meter board.
Many athletes may lose trust in coaches or have difficulty getting along with them after having a new coach each year, but not Hampton. He chose to take the “glass half full” approach and use what he learned from each coach along with the teachings of his current coach to his advantage.
“Every single one of them has brought something different to the table,” Hampton said. “It’s just been a combination of all four of them that’s just really brought a different kind of coaching experience for me and it’s all starting to come together which is really exciting.”
Johansen agreed with Hampton. She credited him and his teammates for their positive, receptive attitudes.
“I am fortunate enough coming in as the fourth coach in four years that Austin as well as the rest of his team are even having an open mind to yet another coach and they are not just sort of dismissing it as the fourth coach in as many seasons,” Johansen said. “I give them all credit for being able to come in with an open mind, listening and learning and trying to create yet another relationship. Austin has done a great job with that.”
Hampton has had injuries from bruises to bruised lungs, but he still looks forward to practice–something that has remained steadfast his entire diving career. He says it is a release from the day-to-day grind of biomedical engineering. Hampton’s parents were able to make the trip to Raleigh from St. Petersburg, Fla. to see their son compete in his last collegiate diving meet at Casey Natatorium.
“My parents were at the meet; it’s one of the few meets they could make it to. It meant so much to me that they could be there for me,” Hampton said. “I have been so blessed to be a part of the Wolfpack and to compete at the collegiate level. I’m real excited to see how the rest of the season unfolds.”
What does the future have in store for Austin Hampton? He wishes he knew, but for right now he is enjoying the ride and will leave a legacy for N.C. State diving for years to come.
