Meet the Freshmen: Carrie Dragland
11/4/2008 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
Nov. 4, 2008
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Freshman diver Carrie Dragland has wasted no time in making an impact for the Crimson Tide, sweeping the diving events in her first two Alabama meets.
Dragland has won both the one-meter three-meter events against Delta State and Florida State.
A native of Woodinville, Wash., Dragland took a year off after high school to train with Mitch Craig and Jim Southerland at Pacific Northwest Diving. This summer Dragland took ninth place at the U.S. Summer Senior Nationals on the ten-meter platform.
There are no college diving programs in her home state of Washington, which made Dragland's decision to come to The University of Alabama very easy.
"It hasn't been hard being away from home because I knew wherever I went I would be away so what's the difference between a two-hour plane ride compared to a five-hour plane ride?" Dragland said with a laugh.
The Alabama swimming and diving team made the choice even easier.
"When I came to visit Alabama I really liked the coaching staff, the atmosphere of the university and the team," Dragland said. "Everyone was so friendly and the weather was doable compared to Seattle."
And if Dragland gets a little homesick, she heads to the local Starbucks for a taste from her home state.
For Dragland the hardest part of the college transition is learning how to be a student again.
"It's different getting back into school. I took a year off to train and my main focus was athletics," Dragland said. "Now I'm adjusting to being a student and an athlete at the same time again."
Alabama's practices and meets have been very similar to Dragland's club experience.
"We've only had two meets and I know they will get more stressful as we get into the bigger meets," Dragland said. "My focus is the same. I go out and visualize my dive and do what I have to do."
In high school Dragland also competed in gymnastics. She was the 2007 and 2008 Washington State All-Around Gymnastics Champion and was a two-year Seattle MVP. Even though Dragland hasn't chosen a major yet, she has big dreams about what she wants to do after college.
"I want to be in Cirque du Soleil," Dragland said. "It has always been exciting to me; I did a lot of stunting in high school when I was a gymnast and I love flipping and being upside down."
Players Mentioned
