How Adams' Katie Hensell became the top diver in the South Bend area

SOUTH BEND — Throughout her undefeated senior year, Katie Hensell's dives have been as crisp as they have since she began the sport.

The jump. The tuck. The entry into the water with little splash. For the South Bend Adams diver, everything looks so natural. Knowing her athletic program, it all makes sense why.

Hensell made the transition to diving when she was 11 years old. Before that, she had aspirations to be a college gymnast, spending four, five days a week on trampolines and vaults. But as she got older, Hensell developed Osgood-Schlatter, swelling below her knees.

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“It just became a pain," she said. "It wasn’t like I had to get surgery or wear a cast or anything. It was just a pain, I was growing. I really wanted to do a sport in college, and I didn’t know if it was going to be gymnastics. It was just kind of a wake up call. But if that didn’t happen, I wouldn’t have gotten into diving. In a way I am grateful.”

In a way, Hensell feels indebted to diving because the sport still helped her live out a dream of being a college athlete. Last year, Hensell signed a national letter of intent to dive at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa.

Her high school career had been building up to this for four years. And those around Hensell are finally taking notice.

A leader from day one

Four years ago Lori Camp was thrown right into the fire with Adams diving.

The program didn't have a coach, and was in danger of not having a team in general because of it.

Camp recalls jokingly volunteering if the school was in desperate need. It was. And Camp found herself in a role, in a sport, she knew nothing about. But on the first day of practice, Hensell — her daughter — was prepared to step in to help.

“She came to the practice and had a workout written out because she knew I was probably over my head," Camp said.

As a freshman, on a team full of seniors and upperclassmen, Hensell was named a team captain, and has held that role every year because of her leadership.

“I had to help her out," Hensell said. "I got the workouts. I’ll lead warmups. I will help the new divers. I know what corrections I need to be making and what corrections to tell them.

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"I had to help her out somehow. I knew she was only there for me, so I really appreciated that."

For Hensell and Camp, diving has turned into a sport that both, daughter and mother, have grown into side by side.

Hensell was a skilled diver when she arrived to Adams, but nowhere as polished as she is now.

As a freshman, she advanced to the Indiana High School Athletic Association state championships, where she finished seventh in the field with 359.85 points.

Sophomore year she missed the cut for state by a mere eight points. And last year she was able to rebound, reach state again and finish in 13th with 360.7 points.

It has all set her up for potentially her best finish yet, coming off of her dominant senior year on the board.

"She’s just stronger, a lot stronger and just a lot cleaner in her form," Camp said. "She still has work to do on her entries, they are not perfect, but she is so much cleaner than she was as a freshman, than she was on the dives.”

Camp has taken on a bigger role in her coaching responsibilities, too. In the South Bend area, Riley is the lone school with a diving coach. So Camp assumed the role of looking over South Bend Saint Joseph's divers (Washington and Clay do not have a team, according to Hensell).

"It's definitely been a long journey and I really appreciate her stepping up to coach diving even though she really didn't know anything about it at the beginning," Hensell said.

A senior season to remember

One of Hensell's favorite moments during this diving season came away from the pool.

Recently, during a school day, Hensell recalls walking through the Adams hallways when a girl, who she rarely spoke to, came up to her and said, 'Good luck at NICs'.

“Diving isn’t considered as interesting or impressive as a sport as basketball or football, especially in high school," Hensell said. “That was just kind of surprising to me. I feel like I get a lot more recognition this year."

Hensell is aware her success has helped with that. She has won all 11 dual meets Adams has competed in this year, as well as both championship meets in the city meet and the Northern Indiana Conference championships.

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In last week's NIC championships in Elkhart, Hensell blew away the field with 429.65 points. The next closest diver, Penn's Cece Pooler, finished with 347.6 points.

For Hensell, this type of season was coming, but she had to wait her turn.

For the past three years, Hensell hasn't been the face of Adams diving. That honor went to Lindsay Gizzi, who finished in the top 10 at state two of the past three years. Now graduated, Hensell stepped into her No. 1 diver role.

“In other years I was in Lindsay’s shadow, which is understandable because she was an amazing diver for all four years of her diving career," Hensell said. “I knew once they all graduated I might have my time to shine."

Aspirations beyond sports

With more recognition and time in the spotlight, Hensell says other students at Adams are finding out more about her, like her strength in academics is just as strong as her work in diving.

At Adams, she is the only three-sport athlete, also competing in track, and is also an IB (International Baccalaureate) student, holding a 4.2 GPA. After diving she has goals of going to law school. When she took her visit to Lafayette, the school set up a Zoom between Hensell and another swimmer in the program which wanted to become a lawyer, too.

Those high aspirations in academics come with the same mindset as she has on the diving board.

“In academics I have always wanted to succeed at the highest level," Hensell said. "It wouldn’t be enough for me to get all As in honors classes. It doesn’t feel like a big enough accomplishment for me unless I am succeeding at the highest level possible.”

Which leads into her final shot at state in her high school career.

Hensell has the next two weeks to think and prepare for that, then compete in sectional and regionals to secure her place.

Everything that her mother has seen over the years by her side, has showed Hensell is determined as ever.

"She knows how to get after a goal," Camp said. "When she goes off to college, that is going to be her strong point.”

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Katie Hensell of Adams high school is dominant on the diving board