Elizabeth Miller breaks Wayland dive records

Abby Stoller

She grasps the silver railing beside the diving board as she climbs up onto the one-meter springboard. She takes a deep breath and throws her body into a two and a half somersault in pike position. Her legs are perfectly straight. She enters the water without a splash.

Senior Elizabeth Miller has been a member of the Wayland Swimming and Diving Team since her sophomore year.

“I love being a part of such a supportive team,” Miller said. “Everyone on the team has a really positive attitude, so even if I have a tough practice, I always end up leaving the pool in a good mood.”

In the off-season, Miller does club diving with Charles River Diving, coached by former Olympian, Agnes Miller.

“I don’t think I would have been able to achieve what I had done if it weren’t for my new coaches this year. They pushed me above and beyond what I thought I was capable of,” Miller said.

All of her hard work paid off when she broke both the Wayland girls’ six-meet and 11-meet dive records. A six-meet is a dual and an 11-meet is a postseason meet. Last year, she broke the six-meet dive record with a score of 296.65; however, this year she has broken her own six-meet dive record three times by the end of her season. Miller won the DCL title with a total of 323.15 points, while breaking her own school record for the fourth time.

“[Winning the DCL title] was probably my favorite memory of the season. I’ve been working really hard the past few years, and standing on that podium was a great feeling,” Miller said.

Her success continued at the Massachusetts North Sectional Meet. Miller came in second place with a 516.65, breaking the girls’ 11-meet dive record. The previous record was set in 2002 and was the oldest record in the WHS girls’ swim and diving books.

One week later, Miller broke her own 11-meet dive school record at the State Championships on February 22, 2016. She scored a 540.90, earning 17 points for her team.

“She has a lot of ability, and she is very hard working,” coach Keith Meliones said. “Also, this year she had professional coaches that she really liked, [which led to her success this season].”

Miller will be continuing her diving career at Georgetown University next year.

“I’m really looking forward to the next four years of diving,” Miller said. “I’m excited to contribute to another great team and be able to compete three meter as well as one meter.”