Moses Lake diving tradition features Generation Next

I didn’t get a chance to see Heather Carbon on the 3-meter springboard, but used to love to watch her pole vault.

We had a nice little talk at the Washington state track and field championships a couple years back.

“It’s a good day to go 15-feet,” I said as she passed through the warm-up area to the runway. “Yes it is,” she replied, flashing one of those million dollar smiles of hers.

She didn’t go 15 feet that day, but she was hell bent for reelection in her effort, and that’s what made it fun to watch. Sometimes it’s the effort and not the end result that makes greatness, like a virtuoso singer reaching for the notes.

I asked her which she liked more, diving in the pool or pole vaulting? Again with the smile, “I like anything where you go upside down,” she said.

Once a thrill seeker, always a thrill seeker. Carbon’s diving for the University of Idaho these days, but her name still remains on the Moses Lake swimming and diving record board. She holds both the Chiefs’ six-dive (252 points) and 11-dive (454.5) records.

Isaiah Zeller erased Braxton Ford’s (2011) six-dive record of 214.95 with a tremendous effort and score of 257 in the final Columbia Basin Big Nine meet of the season last year. He also set his sights on the 11-dive record and reeled that one in too (394.70), to etch his name across from Carbon’s on the boys’ side of the record board.

“Breaking those records were my only goals,” Zeller said. “With 11 dives it’s all about staying focused and being comfortable on my approach,” he said after putting up the new 11-dive standard of excellence.

I suspect assistant coach Brett Hammond has a hand in the Chiefs’ success. Bring ‘em along, give ‘em some “Atta kids,” and turn ‘em loose and watch ‘em change the culture of Moses Lake diving.

Now it looks like there’s a couple more on the way. Bethany Bateman won the diving in the season opener against Eastmont and Jessica Mendoza was third.

The rest of the Columbia Basin Big Nine beware, the Chiefs are coming and it’s a good day to go upside down.

Rodney Harwood is a sports writer at the Columbia Basin Herald and can be reached at rharwood@columbiabasinherald.com