We’ve all cannonballed into a pool before, but diving? That’s the art of gracefully tumbling into the water—minus the painful belly flop or face-plant. Just one out of Northwood’s two-person dive team, freshman Hanna Muncy has quickly risen in the diving world, becoming this year’s PCL Division I champion this year just a few years after her first dive.
With a decade of experience in gymnastics, Muncy grew up loving the thrill of tumbling, and naturally carried her acrobatic skills to the pool. Despite falling short of nationals in 2023, she bounced back last year with strong performances in regional competitions, and ultimately qualified for the 2024 USA Nationals.
“When I switched to diving, I kind of fell in love with it instantly,” Muncy said. “I like that it enters the water rather than the floor because if you land in water, it just hurts a little. You do a lot of flips and brag about jumping off of high heights. I can’t imagine myself playing a different sport. I feel like that wouldn’t entertain me enough.”
Muncy’s success is well-earned. She trains nearly three hours every weekday, splitting time between strength training at the gym and practicing her flips at the pool, and often puts in extra hours on weekends.
Diving, Muncy explains, is all about routine. Prior to a competition, Muncy drills her moves both mentally and physically. When she stands on the platform, it’s all muscle memory. First, take a deep breath. Next, count the steps or oscillations. Then, go. Her signature dive is the front two-and-a-half pike: a forward dive where she folds into a tight V-shape and spins through two and a half somersaults before entering the water headfirst.
“Before we go in a competition, we usually mock our dive,” Muncy said. “I listen to a lot of music and just don’t really focus on the meet. You have to think of something else, so you’re not stressing out about it too much.”
Muncy has had setbacks on her road to success. In August, she sprained her knee during a dive, forcing her to sit out half the season. Now, she has rebuilt her strength and regained some of the skills she lost.
“Every time I think that she’s stuck on something, she ends up getting through it and continues to get better, so there’s been a ton of improvement,” club diving coach Kaeden Cogbill said. “She’s a hard worker. It just all clicked for her fast.”
Of course, diving isn’t just about drills and repetition—it can also mean donning a banana suit and diving into the pool alongside her teammates at a Halloween costume party. For Muncy, it’s all part of living and loving every moment of what she does.
Muncy plans to continue working towards success and possibly a national championship, with her zone competition for 2025 scheduled for mid-June.
“It is a lot of effort,” Muncy said. “You keep going because every practice, you get better and learn a new dive. So there’s something that you’re working towards and that’s something you’re excited about. I’m hoping that this year, I maybe go further.”
