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132 "It was huge for her to get that experience," said Waikel. "ree months before NCAAs she was at Nationals and was still white as a ghost, diving with the top competitors, feeling like she didn't belong. She finaled at that meet, which was huge for her. "Building off that experience as a freshman makes things smoother and her potential better moving forward." Tamborski has posted NCAA Zone qualifying marks off the 1-meter and 3-meter as a sophomore. She earned her first career Big Ten Diver of the Week honor Oct. 9 and earned a second accolade a week later aer diving to a 3-meter title at the SMU Classic. e biggest thing Tamborski wanted to improve on from Year 1 to Year 2 was her mental strength and consistency. "I need to have the consistency to do every dive like I do in practice," she said. "Even those hard dives; I want to learn to hit them in a meet, not just at practice. "I have improved my mental strength so much. On bad days, it's not breaking down and giving in to the day. I am working through it a lot better than I did last year." Waikel has seen growth. "She has matured as an athlete," he said. "Before, she would get so frustrated that the walls would crumble down and there is no value in that. She's starting to see the big picture now." Tamborski's goal for her sophomore season is being better than last year. Her big picture goal is to qualify for this summer's Olympic Trials. She will have four opportunities to do so. "I was six points away (from qualifying) last year," she said. "I have a good chance of getting that score and going. It's one of my goals I have wanted since high school. I have always wanted to make the Olympic Trials to say I can do it and know I am good enough to be there." It would be a fitting ending to Waikel's two-year plan.