The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OLYMPIC SPORTS PROFILES Jack Lee Driven To Dive Into New Challenges With the precision involved in diving, the slightest apprehension or doubt can send an attempt askew, returning undesirable results for even the most seasoned of divers. Fortunately for the Michigan men's swimming and diving team, venturing into uncharted waters is far from an obstacle for sophomore Jack Lee. "Diving is definitely not a sport for the faint-hearted," he said. "I believe that one of the biggest challenges is over- coming the fear of trying new dives. Personally, that is something that I re- ally strive at." The Wolverines' diving squad has grown rapidly over the past two years — from only two members in 2009 to nine this season. With a lone senior, Chris Morrison, on the team, it is up to the Lee and his classmates to help navi- gate the program down the right path. "We're a really young team now, and it's difficult to have that authoritative leadership," Lee said. "We have to make sure we are all working together to make sure everyone is doing the things that they need to do." Like attempting a new dive for the When describing the key to sopho- more hurdler Ali Arastu's early success, Michigan men's track and field head coach Fred LaPlante did not mince words. "He's a tough kid," LaPlante said. "Ali is one of these guys that, whether he likes to do something or doesn't like to do it, his willpower is such that he can't keep himself from not doing something 100 percent all the time." Arastu's work ethic and natural athleti- cism have helped the sophomore earn a number of triumphs already at the collegiate level — he qualified for the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 400-meter hurdles, earned honor- able mention All-America honors in the event and was named the team's Most Outstanding Freshman. Still the transition to tougher competi- tion was one that took a great deal of effort for the Northville, Mich., native, especially in adapting his running style to the next level. "In high school, there's no such thing as 400-meter hurdles," Arastu said. "I've never even run that race. During my first race my freshman outdoor season, 82 THE WOLVERINE FEBRUARY 2012 first time, being thrust into a leadership role can prove to be a daunting task, but Lee plans on diving into the new challenge full speed ahead. "It's going to take a lot of initiative to step into a leadership role, to set an ex- ample for the underclassmen," Lee said. "To be a good leader is to encourage people to step outside of their comfort zone. "What makes you competitive as an athlete in any sport, but especially in diving, is you need to have the drive to succeed." If Lee is going to help his younger teammates, he must take a step out of his own comfort zone first — some- thing he has a battle-tested strategy for. "I pretend that I'm not doing a new dive if I am trying a dive for the first time," Lee said. "I just put myself in the mindset of a diver that's been doing that dive for a long time. "I think to myself that I know what it should feel like, that I know the me- chanics of the dive. I kind of disregard that I've never done it before and try to do it well." Fortunately for the Michigan diving Lee scored a 312.65 to earn the men's plat- form diving title at the Pittsburgh Invitational Nov. 18-20. PHOTO COURTESY U-M SPORTS INFORMATION team, a new task, whether it be leading or trying a new dive, is not something Lee jumps into half-heartedly. "Jack Lee is really dedicated, and really driven, by the motivation to do every- thing, to try everything and learn ev- erything," first-year head diving coach KZ Li said. — Kevin Minor Hurdler Ali Aratsu Wills His Way To Early Success to learn that he couldn't go out and go hard the whole way, but he's a quick learner and he picked things up quickly, and he's a great competitor." Arastu has not let this competitive fire cloud his ability to focus, and has learned how to mentally pace himself as a young athlete dealing with the ups and the downs of chasing the nation's top hurdlers. "The rush of adrenaline before a race, I don't think that is ever going to change, but the preparation, practice and every- thing … I'm a lot more confident going in," Arastu said. "I know exactly what to do, I know how to run the race." Now on solid footing, the sophomore Aratsu earned honorable mention All- America honors in the 400-meter hurdles as a rookie and was named U-M's Most Outstanding Freshman. PHOTO COURTESY U-M SPORTS INFORMATION I didn't know how to run it exactly, just by what my coaches were telling me, but I adapted pretty quickly. "It's a longer race, so he had to learn to pace himself," LaPlante said. "He had has an opportunity to continue laying the foundation as a premier performer this season while continuing to grow into a leadership role. "He's one of those guys that will make people around him better because he gets the most out of himself," LaPlante said. "If guys have the same type of fo- cus when they're in competition, they have a better chance of achieving, and he helps the team in that way." — Kevin Minor