Episcopal Academy diver Wren Sablich is Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week
The Episcopal Academy junior diver played a key role in the EA girls’ swimming team’s victory against Germantown Academy Dec. 6. She broke the Germantown Academy pool record and the 15-year-old EA school record as well with a mark of 298.90. The EA school record was held since 2001 by Julie Porter with a score of 295.50.
Q: What was your most memorable moment during your diving competition against GA Dec. 6? What was the key to your success that day?
A: My most memorable moment of the meet was nailing my reverse one and a half. I was really nervous to compete this dive because it is relatively new and in the practices leading up to the meet, I hadn’t been doing them very well. However, I kept my nerves down by just reminding myself to have fun and enjoy the competition as I have put in a lot of work at EA practices and my school club team, West Chester Diving.
Q: How do you adjust to different boards, and how important is it to get practice in at different sites?
A: I adjust to different boards by doing some hurdles and back jumps at the beginning of warmups to get the feel of the board. It is important to go through your list in warmups at a meet so that you feel comfortable with your dives on a board that could be more bouncy or stiff than what you are used to.
Q: Have you ever felt that you hit a perfect dive? Was it in competition or just practicing?
A: I feel that I have hit a couple perfect voluntary dives while at practice and in competition, but not my optionals so far.
Q: What are your best dives, in order?
A: My best category of dives is definitely inwards. I would then say from there that my next best is fronts, then backs, then twisters, and last reverses because I’m not that big a fan of them.
Q: What’s the coolest place you’ve ever dove from?
A: This summer I went to Ripfest, a diving camp in Indiana where many Olympians and National Champions have trained. It was really fun to meet divers from all over the country and to be coached in a different style from what I am used to.
Q: Tell us a little about your pre-meet preparation the day of a meet.
A: While driving to a meet I usually visualize my dives in my head a couple of times, but besides that I don’t do too much. If I think about the competition and other divers, then I get nervous and I can’t dive as well if I am nervous.
Q: Take us through a typical workout session, both in the pool and in the weight room.
A: I typically begin my club practices doing some dryland where we first jump rope, then do some conditioning and kickout exercises, and then stretch before we get on the boards. At West Chester and EA I pick a category to work on for the day and begin with voluntary dives and lead-ups to build for my harder optionals.
Q: What, to you, is the major difference between indoor and outdoor diving competitions?
A: I sometimes practice outside in the summer at a nearby swim club, but I have never competed outside. The biggest difference between outside and inside diving is dealing with weather as sometimes the sun may be in your eyes or it is rainy and windy.
Q: What colleges are among your current favorites? What do you think you would like to major in? Is there a career path that particularly interests you?
A: I have just begun looking and have so far visited Georgetown, University of Richmond, and Davidson where I really loved the schools and felt that I could fit in with their diving programs, but I have many other schools to see. I am interested in majoring in Foreign Relations and could foresee myself in a job where I work abroad because I love to travel.
Q: Do you participate in any other extracurricular activities at Episcopal Academy? What sparked your interest in each of these activities?
A: Besides diving all year round I play golf in the spring school season. I began golf so that I can play with my Dad.
Fun facts – Wren Sablich
Favorite book: The Help.
Favorite TV show: The Office.
Favorite athlete: Simone Biles.
Favorite place to visit: London.
Favorite pre-meet meal: Pasta.
Favorite color: Pink.
Birth date: Aug. 26, 1999 in Bryn Mawr.
Family Members: Tim (dad), Kim (mom), Garrett (younger brother), Paige (dog).
(To be selected as Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by her school.)
