Spring Break
Philadelphia sports writers honor Hynes
Senior diver wants to finish her career with a top-eight finish at the NCAAs.
Mike Mazzeo
Issue date: 1/30/09 Section: Sports
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She's an All-American. She's the three-time defending CAA Diver of the Year. And to top it all off she's also been named The Philadelphia Inquirer Swimming & Diving Academic Performer of the Year the past two years.
But her latest honor, she had to admit, was a first.
Hynes, a senior on the Drexel swimming and diving team, was honored by the Philadelphia Sports Writer's Association during the 105th Annual PSWA Awards Banquet Jan. 26 at the Crowne Plaza in Cherry Hill, N.J.
"It meant a lot because it was an association outside of Drexel that was sponsoring it," Hynes said. "It was just a great honor to be there among all those huge names and even people at universities around [Philadelphia that also received honors]. And to know that I was the athlete to represent Drexel was a huge honor for me because I know that the people at Drexel were the ones that nominated me so that meant a lot."
Since stepping on the scene at Drexel four years ago, Hynes has dominated her competition - and this season has been no different.
Hynes captured the championship on the 3-meter board at the prestigious Tennessee Diving Invitational, which featured divers from several elite SEC universities, while placing third on the 1-meter board.
Currently, she has taken home the past six CAA Diver of the Week awards.
But despite the perception that she is under-the-radar, Hynes believes Drexel does an admirable job in making the community aware of her successes.
"I feel like at Drexel I get more recognition than most divers do at other schools," Hynes said. "It's just not a sport that a lot of people really get into or watch. Aside from the Olympics you never really hear about diving and Drexel really does a great job of getting the information out there."
However, Hynes says she does not compete in her sport just to receive accolades.
"I don't really do the sport for the recognition," Hynes said. "I do it because I love it and any recognition is sort of just icing on the cake."
She credits her diving coach Larry May with molding her into the athlete she has become today.
"His coaching technique is the reason I feel I've gotten so good at Drexel," Hynes said. "I personally feel that you're only as good as your coaching in diving because you need someone there watching to see the things that you can't see … the things that you can't feel. It's really important to have an excellent coach."
Hynes said her goal if she is able to navigate her way through the conference meets once again is to finish in the top eight at the NCAA Championships, which take place this year in College Station, Texas Mar. 19-21.
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