On Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016, Central Bucks East senior Kylene Gillick was recognized for committing to continue her diving career at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. To view photos of the event, please visit the Photo Gallery.
Kylene Gillick – University of North Carolina at Wilmington (Diving)
Major: Physical Oceanography
Final list of colleges: UNC Wilmington, Coastal Carolina, Florida Golf Coast, Florida Atlantic, Tampa, Eckerd
Reasons for choosing UNC Wilmington: “I want to be a physical oceanography major, which is the study of the sea floor and why waves happen and how currents work, and the ideal local for that is obviously at the beach. UNC Wilmington has the perfect setting for that. They’re very hands on, and it’s five miles from the beach, so you get everything that you need. I just fell in love with the school and the area and the team.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in diving at the collegiate level? “I swam for probably seven or eight years before I started diving. I kind of got bored, and I wanted to try something new. I had a whole bunch of friends who were gymnasts who were teaching me how to do cartwheels and stuff like that. They just told me – you should dive. My mom was really hesitant, and she finally gave up the fight and told me to go and try out, thinking I wasn’t going to make it. I came back the next week and told her, ‘Mom, I made the team.’ I started doing club in summer and then winter teams. Now I’m starting my third year of U.S. Diving.
“It probably hit me (that I could do this in college) two years ago. When I was a sophomore, I just looked at my coach and said, ‘I want to dive in college. That’s what I want to do.’”
Diving coach Fred Dunn says: “Kylene was both a swimmer and a diver for a long time, and those two sports do not mix. They’re completely different muscle types, so she was sort of stuck in the mud for a while, but as soon as she stopped swimming, she started to just take off in diving. Her size is perfect for diving. She’s got the physical attributes – she’s pretty in the air, she’s got great form. She’s still learning some of the more difficult dives because swimming gave her a late start, but she’s doing super.”
About Kylene:
Favorite food: Pork & Sauerkraut
Favorite movie: The Longest Ride or Elf
Favorite music: Taylor Swift
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