Q&A With Diver of the Year Lexi Tenenbaum

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

By Matthew Barnard, Swimming World College Intern

Lexi Tenenbaum of the University of Minnesota rounded out her career in Indianapolis earlier this month, claiming the title of CSCAA Division I Diver-of-the-Year. The Maple Grove, Minn., native is the third Golden Gopher since 2010 to claim the highest honor in collegiate diving after Kelci Bryant (2011) and Yu Zhou (2015). Tenenbaum, who helped lead the Gophers to be the highest scoring diving team at NCAA’s this year, rose to prominence quickly since failing to make the NCAA Championship meet her freshman year. Under the guidance of coach Wenbo Chen and assistant Michael Hilber, Tenenbaum became a consistent scorer for Minnesota at both dual meets and Big Ten Conference Championship’s over her four years.

Swimming World caught up with Tenenbaum to talk about her career and her last NCAA Championship meet.

Swimming World: How did you go from not making NCAA’s your freshman year to CSCAA Diver-of-the-Year your senior year?

Lexi Tenenbaum: I think my freshman year i didn’t have a lot of experience and I just didn’t have the basics I needed in order to do harder dives and be consistent. After freshman year I had a full summer to train everyday and just focus on my fundamentals and my basics so I could get better. Not only after freshman year but also after sophomore year and junior year I had full summers to train which in the end of the day I think made all the difference.

SW: Talk me through your last NCAA National Championship meet.

LT: I think that NCAA’s this year was a little bitter sweet because it was my last one but also I have been doing it for so long that in a way I was ready to be done. On the first day I kind of got into the 1-meter consolation final by luck because one of the other girls got injured, so I snuck into the console. On 3-meter I really worked for that championship final spot, this whole year I have been more consistent in competitions and I think it really showed at NCAA’s. I have really been focusing on tower and I got a full 10-meter list this year so that really helped me out, and I think that reflected in my results.

SW: How was it having the 2017 NCAA 3-meter champion Yu Zhou and 1-meter runner up Sarah Bacon as your teammates?

LT: I definitely would not have performed as well as I did if it weren’t for Sarah and Shelly (Yu Zhou). Even throughout the whole season it was really fun and inspiring working with Sarah and Shelly just because they are such good divers. I think that we all really pushed each other to be our best. We all had each other to work alongside and work for, which is something that a lot of other teams don’t have.

SW: Obviously your coaches have had a huge impact on you as a diver, what makes training with Wenbo Chen and Michael Hilber special?

LT: Wenbo as a coach is different to what I was used to before college. Growing up as a gymnast all my coaches were very vocal and in a way could be quite mean, but I think Wenbo is the opposite. If he is mad he doesn’t say a whole lot he just gets the point across, I think he and I have a very good relationship which really helps me as a diver. Our assistant Mike has been my diving coach for a very long time since I was younger and diving in club, so it was really special having him there for my senior year. Mike knows my diving style and knows how I am so having him here at Minnesota has been really awesome.

SW: What are you most proud of from you athletic career?

LT: I think what I’m most proud about is that I came from being just a high school 1-meter diver to someone who was able to do all three diving events at NCAA’s and score in all of the events. I was also able to compete at Olympic Trials which for any athlete is a goal of theirs.

SW: What makes the University of Minnesota such a strong place for diving?

LT: I think the history and perhaps more importantly Wenbo, I think Wenbo is able to recognize talent and potential while recruiting like he did with me and has the ability to turn that potential into great divers.

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Mike Hilber

7 years ago

https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/qa-with-diver-of-the-year-lexi-tenenbaum/