Controlling her spinning, twisting body as she plummets toward the quiet pool water gives Molly Freeman a rush. 

It's the same feeling she used to get when the Union College junior diver did somersaults as a standout gymnast, but diving off the threemeter board is a lot scarier than her flips on the mat used to be. 

"Diving is all about grace and accuracy," said Freeman, who has won the Liberty League diver of the week award six straight times. 

"I love diving and gymnastics. I really miss gymnastics now that I don't do it anymore, but gymnastics and diving are really competing on the same level. Obviously, you go in the water head-first in diving, and you land feet-first in gymnastics, but there are a lot of similarities. You've got to be accurate and in control in both. I like being in control of my body." 

Freeman has dominated both the one-meter and three-meter diving events in the league this season. She broke Union's 13-year-old threemeter record at Williams with a score of 281.75, and has won 11 of the 12 diving competitions over the last six weeks. For the season, Freeman has won 16 of the 18 diving competitions and was named the league's Women's Diver of the Year, helping to lead the Dutchwomen to their second straight league swimming and diving title. 

"It's weird. I never dove off the three-meter board before at college. I learned it as a freshman. I always liked the one-meter because there was less of a fear factor being closer to the water," she said. 

"But if I had to pick one event over the other, it would be the three-meter. I can do more dives. I enjoy the backs and the inwards dives. They're more consistent for me, and they are usually more solid dives for the meets. I worry about the reverses. I'm learning some new dives and positions, and they're coming along, but I still have a lot of work to do." 

First-year Union diving coach Emily Klinkhammer used to compete against Freeman when Klinkhammer was at Hamilton College. Both Freeman and Klinkhammer were a bit anxious about how their coach-student/athlete relationship would evolve this season. 

"Emily used to be my rival, and coming into this year, I was a little nervous how things would work out," Freeman said. "But it's worked out great. Emily is wonderful, and we have some great divers on the team. Everyone gets along." 

"The first thing I noticed about Molly is that she is incredibly talented," said Klinkhammer. "With any athlete, to have natural talent is great, but she is also willing to do some pretty hard dives that she's not comfortable with yet. She just learned the front 3 /2, and that's tough to do for a woman. I'm not sure I've seen anyone doing it at the nationals. She's great to work with." 

Freeman, who carries a 3.5 grade-point average as a visual arts major, is also a member of the Union dance team. At Barrington High School in Barrington, Ill., she was also a member of the soccer team and was a sprinter and hurdler on the track and field team. 

"I've competed in four different sports overall down through the years. I seem to do better when I'm in season, and I have a lot of things going on at the same time," she said. "It's hard to balance everything, but when I'm in diving season, it makes my work go easier. 

"On the dance team, we choreograph our own music and pick the top tunes. We meet twice a week, and dance at the basketball games. I never danced before, except during the floor exercises in gymnastics, but dancing is a lot like gymnastics and diving in that you need precision, and you must be crisp with your routines." 

Freeman is hoping to peak for the NYSCAA swimming and diving championships that start Thursday at Nottingham High School in Syracuse. 

"I'm nervous, but I'm also excited. The states are always a wonderful experience because everyone is on their toes and all hyped up. It's a long meet — four days — but I can't wait. Sometimes, I get too intense, and my nerves overtake me a little. Last year at the nationals, my nerves won, and I was too hyped up, but I've got that experience under my belt now."

HONOR ROLL
Union freshman swimmer Steve Schapp was named the Liberty League men's rookie of the week for the fourth time in five weeks, and the fifth time overall this season. Union men's swimming and diving team, in the final home meet of the season, defeated Ithaca, 123-113, Saturday. Schapp took the 200 free at 1:48.92, and later touched at 2:02.32 to win the 200 fly. He finished with a win in the 500 free at 4:55.69, nearly six seconds better then the second-place competitor. 

Union sophomore Patricio Guaiquil was named the Liberty League men's co-track performer of the week. At the Smith Tartan Invitational Indoor Classic at Smith College Saturday. Guaiquil had a personal-best time in the 400, fi nishing second in 51.76. 

Union senior Casey Kohut and freshman Allison Cuozzo were both honored by the Liberty League for their performances at the Smith Invitational. Kohut received her second women's performer of the week award, while Cuozzo was named the rookie of the week for a fourth time this winter. Kohut just missed winning the 1,000, clocking at 3:08.85, but broke the 1989 school record for Union and qualified for the ECAC championships. Cuozzo won the 600 with a school-record time of 1:38.59, breaking a record of 1:42.2 set in 1988.