The sport of diving is characterized by living life on the edge. Making the right decisions in the right moment can make or break a routine. On the edge of the platform, multiple thoughts run through a diver’s head, questions of whether it is possible to achieve the goal at hand or are they good enough to complete the routine. When they hit the water, it is all in the past.

Since diving coach Chris Griffin joined the program in the 2014-15 season, the women’s swimming and diving team has tallied a staggering seven individual national champions in the 1- and 3-meter diving events.

The two most recent titles came at the 2025 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships, where senior diver Kailee Payne captured her third and fourth individual national championship, adding to her impressive resume. Payne defended her 1- and 3-meter diving titles from a season ago, concluding a prolific career that saw her shatter the school and pool records along the way.

Payne, who transferred to the college from Division I Marshall University in 2023, said there were many highs and lows throughout her two years with the South Hill squad, including the challenge of finding a new home, but that she would not change any part of her diving career.

“It’s pretty cool looking back at everything I’ve accomplished and all the things I’ve overcome,” Payne said. “All I can say is it was a journey.”

Payne concluded her senior campaign as the Liberty League Championship Tournament Diver of the Week for the 13th time, helping her to secure the Liberty League Diver of the Year honor. She said that while nationals brings a lot of pressure, it was comforting to have three of her teammates qualify with her: seniors Ethan Godfrey, Angela Burke and Jenell Slesser.

“It was such a special time with them,” Payne said. “It gave me that reassurance that no matter what the competition, however it goes, I have my teammates, I have my best friends to be with, and it created such a well rounded experience.”

In 2024, Payne was joined by Burke and graduate student diver Abby Marraccino ’24 at nationals. Since 2022, the women’s swimming and diving team has sent at least three divers to nationals each season, clinching five individual national championships during that span. Payne became the sixth different individual national champion in program history with last season’s performance.

Slesser said she was impressed with how hard Payne worked to reach this level, while also taking into consideration the aspect of enjoying the experience along the way.

“Our coach always tells us, we do our best when we’re dancing, smiling, [and] having fun competing,” Slesser said. “So [focusing on] being in that mindset at a competition, especially even something as big as nationals [is important].”

Slesser said the challenge with diving is staying in the present and remaining focused in case a routine does not go as anticipated.

“If a dive goes wrong and you still have the rest of your competition to go, it’s sometimes difficult to be back in that mind space,” Slesser said. “Putting that one behind you, moving past it and [telling yourself that] that one dive doesn’t define you, or doesn’t define everything you’ve done. [You are] Looking to be excellent and trusting your body and trusting the process of all the hard work that you’ve put in.”

Payne opened up about the struggles of being the defending national champion going into the season. She said that diving presents countless demands from an athlete both physically and mentally, and that remembering that athletes compete in their sports because they enjoy it helped her push through her struggles.

Payne said many of the mental struggles she has encountered with diving have been self-inflicted, such as self-doubt. She said she had many reminders from her teammates and coaches that it was not about the results, but rather what she wanted to gain from her experience.

“I would talk to [diving coach Chris Griffin] a lot about ‘what if I didn’t get those titles again?’ and ‘what if I’m disappointing the people that are cheering me on?’” Payne said. “Everyone knows what I’m capable of and they want to see me accomplish that, but that’s because they care. I have incredible people who have my back 100% of the time, and that helps eliminate all the anxieties around it.”

From the decision-making to the form of each dive, Griffin said there is a huge mental presence for diving that should not be overlooked.

“I think diving is definitely one that puts a raw nerve to a lot of kids,” Griffin said. “You’re standing up on the edge of a platform being asked to do flips and twists and everything else and have a perfect performance. There’s all kinds of things that go right, wrong or indifferent in a split second, and those are a lot of things we have to overcome.”

Payne said Griffin played an instrumental role during her two seasons on South Hill. He won the NCAA Women’s Diving Coach of the Year award for the second year in a row and third time in his career. Griffin said he emphasizes showing up in the moment as divers and that it is all about focusing on a sport that the athletes enjoy.

“When we walk away from practice, we want to be able to walk away proud of something that we’ve done, something we’ve accomplished and being in a fulfilling environment,” Griffin said.

Payne said she struggled to build close relationships while at Marshall, leading to her transferring to IC. Having grown up an Ithaca native, Payne said she hit the jackpot by returning to South Hill.

“Going to Ithaca and being with Chris, my new teammates and being closer to home, it just provided that new foundation that gave me so much more security,” Payne said. “Having a support system around you that is really, truly there for you and will not give up on you and wants to see you succeed, not just as an athlete, but as a person, [it] truly makes the biggest difference in the world.”

After having witnessed Payne’s Bombers career firsthand, Griffin said he believes that being an athlete is not just about the sport, but also about becoming a better person.

“It’s a pathway we choose for self improvement, so recognizing those things and that the path of improvement is not linear,” Griffin said. “It’s got ups and downs, curves, swivels, twists, all kinds of things, and it won’t feel like it’s a direct path, but continuing to work day in and day out towards that end goal, mental health, physical health. If you are determined and willing to put in the work, you will see success.”