Most athletes do not pick up a second sport when they are already in season.

Senior Kaya Nowak has been a swimmer on the varsity girls swimming and diving team since she was a freshman and made the decision in early September to compete in both swimming and diving.

Robin Walker, girls swimming and diving head coach, said it is uncommon for people to participate in both events because it is important to focus on one to do well. Few athletes are capable of doing both well.

“I mainly did it to help the team get more points [at meets] and really to keep our conference championship,” Nowak said.

At meets, the winner is determined based on which team has a higher point total. Points are an accumulation of swimming and diving results.

Walker’s idea of Nowak competing in diving was sparked at an invitational meet at Lake Forest on Aug. 29.

“Highland Park was there,” said Nowak. “They ended up beating us by a good 100 points, and they’re in our conference. After that … Coach [Walker] and the whole team were like, ‘Our conference championship might be on the line.’”

Walker said the maturity Nowak developed throughout high school and her athleticism impacted why she, specifically, was asked to dive.

Nowak said there is a practice every year when they play the game “Jump or Dive.” The game consists of someone jumping off the diving board and, while she is in the air, someone else calling out either “jump” or “dive.” The person must change the positioning of her body and land in the pool either feet or arms first, based on what was called out.

“[Walker] knows that I’m pretty good at diving from that,” said Nowak. “Also, after practices we have fun. … I could do some tricks already and so he was like, ‘Okay, you know how to do a couple tricks here and there, let’s try [having you dive in competition].’”

Nowak said she practiced diving for less than one week before her first meet.

“I had three practices before I actually [dove] in a meet,” said Nowak. “So I’d say [I learned] in a collective of four hours.”

According to Walker, Nowak came in third place out of six for diving in her first dual meet.

Nowak said her teammates have been supportive of her transition to diving.

“It’s weird that I’m separated from them, but they know why I’m diving, and they know that it’s ultimately for the better of the team,” Nowak said.

Captain Bella Abbott said Nowak is helping the team out because she is scoring a lot of points diving.

“The whole team thinks it’s very cool that she’s diving as well as swimming,” said Abbott. “She can contribute to the team on a different level than the rest of us can.”

Nowak said this change has caused her to miss out on some training outside of the pool, but she believes the trade-off is worth it.

“I usually don’t participate in dryland practices,” said Nowak. “So that’s like when we do exercises in the weight room, spin room, stuff like that. That’s when I’m doing my diving practice.”

Abbott said she is not worried about Nowak missing dryland practices because she is working to improve her performance in a different way.

Walker said there has not been any change to the team dynamic since Nowak started diving.

“There isn’t a separation at all,” said Walker. “She’s just going over here to do this one event and then she comes back. She’s with the team. I don’t know that everybody could do that.”

Nowak said her athletic identity is changing.

“Everyone knows me as a swimmer,” said Nowak. “Transitioning into diving, trying a new sport my senior year, is kind of weird. … But I actually kind of enjoy it because it adds a little variety.”