VERMILLION – Balancing being a nursing student and a Division I athlete has been key to the success this season for South Dakota women's diver Sarah Schank.
 
Schank, a senior, enters the Summit League Swimming and Diving Championships presented by the U.S. Air Forces Special Operations as the leading qualifier in the one-meter and three-meter diving events.
 
The Cottage Grove, Minnesota, native has posted season bests of 280.15 in the one-meter and 315.15 in the three-meter and has shown consistency throughout the season, winning nine individual competitions on the one-meter board and eight on the three-meter board.
 
"I'm pretty excited," said Schank. "I think it's going to be a lot of fun. I'm not going into it thinking too much about it. It's a fun week.
 
"It's been good so far, two personal bests this season that was pretty exciting. Continuously getting better has been good to see so hoping this meet to see even more progress."
 
Schank, who spends 3-to-4 days a week in Sioux Falls because of her nursing major, has been hard pressed to find time to practice and is thankful for diving coach Kris Jorgensen and how they have worked well together.
 
"When I was a sophomore, there was a senior in the nursing program so I kind of had an idea of what to expect," Schank said. "I am pretty happy with it. I really wanted to do nursing and diving at the same time so it worked out pretty well."
 
Schank is trying to not think about her past conference championships and enters her final league meet with some unfinished business after falling short as a junior in the one-meter and then getting edge out in the three-meter by teammate Haley Pederson.
 
"Sarah had two years where we had Greysen Hertting and Greysen was phenomenal," coach Jason Mahowald said. "It was a great learning experience to be behind Greysen to learn how it's like to be a conference champ.
 
"Sarah has some unfinished business for sure. She has been diving more consistently than she ever has. I have no doubt that she is going to finish her career strong."
 
Schank ranks second (three-meter) and fourth (one-meter) on the Coyote Top 10 list heading into competition on Wednesday (three-meter, 2:30 p.m. prelims and 5 p.m. finals) and Friday (one-meter, 1 p.m. prelims and 5 p.m. finals).
 
It's the mental side of the event that Jorgensen feels has been beneficial to Schank during her senior season.
 
"This year she is going into it being ranked one in both boards and she is a lot more prepared this year," said Jorgensen. "She is psychologically more prepared.
 
"She will be better able to deal with it (being in the lead) than she was in the past."
 
The Coyote women's squad, a fourth-place finisher a year ago, hopes to move up the team standings this season with a young squad that has shown growth each meet throughout the season.
 
"Our women have done a great job of getting better and better each week," said Mahowald. "With as young a team as we have, we knew it was going to be a whole year process. It wasn't going to be something that we we're going to show up day one and be great.
 
"They are getting better and better. Even in the last two weeks we have seen confidence grow and chemistry kind of hone in a little bit. I'm excited for them. I think the women are prepared to do some really cool things. I think they're going to shock themselves which I think will be fun to be a part of."
 
Schank believes it will ultimately be mental focus that will help her seal the deal and become a conference champion. She is the only upperclassmen among the four female divers for the Coyotes which also includes freshmen Sydney Fulton and Naomi Bingham along with sophomore Pederson.
 
"I'm not worrying about all the pressure on us," said Schank. "Just more going out and having fun. It being my last conference meet, I'm pretty excited about it. I don't really want to put too much stress on myself."