Being a pioneer is nothing new for Emma Dicob.
Dicob was the first diver from Beaver River High School to place first at both the Frontier League and Section III championships. She is also the first athlete from her high school to qualify for the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships.
This fall Dicob will become the first diver in the history of the Roberts Wesleyan College swimming and diving program, and the freshman is looking forward to the opportunity.
“I am excited that I am the first diver,” Dicob said. “Hopefully I will bring other divers in.”
So does coach Sara Smith, who has led the Redhawks since the program’s inception in 2017.
“Emma joining us is going to help us transform as a program and show people that we have that diving component and you can do that here,” Smith said.
Like many divers, Dicob has a background in gymnastics. She started diving at the urging of her friend Audrey Clements in seventh grade and – after competing in both sports for a while – decided to focus on diving.
Dicob went on to win two Frontier League titles, two Section III championships, and qualified for the states twice. She set the Section III Class C state qualifying meet 11-dive record with 448 points last fall.
Her accomplishments are even more impressive when you consider that Beaver River didn’t have a diving board and Dicob needed to travel to neighboring Lowville High School, where Audrey attended, to practice and compete.
“It has been really remarkable to watch what she could accomplish considering that she didn’t even have a diving board at the high school she went to,” Roberts assistant coach Nic Grunert said.
Dicob, who also played volleyball in high school, is grateful to Lowville for the opportunity to dive and the doors it has opened for her. She also relies on her gymnastics background each time she steps on the board.
“My strength came from gymnastics,” Dicob said. “Pretty much everything came from gymnastics.”
Smith said Dicob’s scores caught her attention and she was impressed the first time she saw a tape of Dicob diving.
“What really stands out the most about her is the power that she has on the board,” Smith said. “It gives her so much air and time to do her dives.”
Dicob, who plans to study early childhood education, adds to Roberts’ growing connection to the North Country. Grunert, a 2017 Roberts graduate, swam for six seasons at Beaver River and Gabe Rivers, a senior standout on the men’s team, is from Lowville.
Dicob said she knew of Roberts because a friend’s sister attended, but a visit to campus made her college decision easy.
“I loved it,” Dicob said. “The college is beautiful, the pool is beautiful and the coaches are great.”
Although she didn’t know Grunert prior to the recruiting process, there was some familiarity as Dicob’s mother, Tina, works with Grunert’s mother.
“She will be perfect for the program,” Grunert said. “Roberts is my second home and I am so glad to share it with Emma.”
Provided information
