Senior starting to make waves

When senior diver Erin Quinn was in high school at Sylvania Northview in Sylvania, Ohio, she was a two-time Ohio state champion and an All-American. Her success led Quinn to be pursued by IU, Minnesota, Ohio State, Alabama and Arkansas in the recruiting process.\nQuinn eventually chose IU because of its strong team and diving coach Jeff Huber's success in creating national-caliber divers.\n"(Both when I was getting recruited) and now we have a really strong team, with lots of close friends," Quinn said. "Huber's program of turning divers with little experience and making them into national-level divers is what impressed me the most about coming here."\nQuinn's success from high school has carried over to her Hoosier career, as she has placed no lower than third on the 1-meter and ninth on 3-meter in her three Big Ten Championship competitions. She also placed second on platform the two years she competed in it at Big Tens.\nNow, with her last Big Ten Championships meet just more than a week away, Quinn is trying to ease the pressure on herself and not really think about her collegiate career coming to a close.\n"I am trying not to really think about (Big Tens) as my last one, because I feel like I might put added pressure on myself," Quinn said. "I just want to go and have fun. It is definitely sad, but there are some good and bad things about being done."\nWhile success at the Big Ten level has been nice for Quinn, she hasn't stopped there. At the 2001 U.S. Diving Outdoor Nationals, she was awarded the Athlete Performance Award for Outstanding Diving. She also garnered the Women's All-Around Award after taking second on the 3-meter, fourth on platform, fourth on synchronized 3-meter and third on synchronized platform.\nEach having had vast national and international experience, junior teammate Sara Reiling said Quinn is a good influence and brings a different perspective to preparation than Huber is always able to provide.\n "We feed off each other because we have both had a fair amount of success; we try to use it to our advantage," Reiling said. "Hearing things from Erin in a different perspective can help a lot sometimes.\n "It may not be the little thing that is going to click for you, but taking a comment from Erin with all her success, it is an honest comment, and I know she knows what it is like (at the higher levels of competition)."\nFollowing her career at IU, Quinn wants to continue diving. She plans on training at IU for two years and hopes to make this year's U.S. World Championship Team and the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team. Quinn is an elementary education major and envisions teaching but is leaving her career options open.\nEverything hasn't been easy for Quinn, who has battled injuries during her career as a Hoosier. She sat out the 1999-2000 season with a torn ligament in her elbow. She also missed much of the fall season this year with nagging injuries.\nNonetheless, Huber said Quinn's strength has allowed her to overcome adversity.\n"She has been a great team captain and leader for us," Huber said. "She is very tough mentally and physically and has a great positive attitude. She has had to overcome a number of injuries and her toughness has helped her get through that.\n"She's kind of a coach's dream"