A 10-year-old Lucas Bumgarner stood next to the diving board during swim practice, watching and learning. He observed the daring divers as they climbed the ladder to the 1-meter platform and stood — poised on the edge, balancing on their toes with their arms extended. He found something in the bounces, jumps, twists and flips that captivated him more than swimming ever had.
“I just saw other people doing it while I was swimming,” Bumgarner said. “I got bored with swimming and decided I wanted to try it. My mom brought me and my siblings to a diving camp and I liked it, so I just kept with it.”
So began Bumgarner’s lengthy, impressive and sometimes turbulent career as a diver. As of last year, Bumgarner has constructed quite the resume. Last year, as a freshman on Emory’s swimming and diving team, he was an All-America team selection, the University Athletic Association (UAA) Men’s Diver of the Year, UAA champion in the 3-meter dive, and a member of the All-UAA end of the year team. On, Jan. 19, Bumgarner was named the UAA Men’s Diver of the Week after he swept the diving events at Emory’s meet against Delta State University (Miss.).
“All of the schools in the UAA conference are fantastic,” Bumgarner said. “It’s an honor to be recognized by them.”
However, diving did not always come easily to Bumgarner. It has been something he has been working at, both physically and mentally, for years.
“The hardest part is the mental part,” he said. “Getting your mind to be okay with throwing yourself off a high platform and doing flips, while you fall, takes a lot of work. It requires a ton of mental training over physical training.”
While swimming is considered a non-contact sport, a diver’s impact into the pool makes diving a contact sport. Divers can hit the water at speeds of up to 40 mph, causing collisions strong enough to dislocate joints or even break bones. With this knowledge, it’s no wonder why becoming comfortable with diving takes full mental commitment. The toll on Bumgarner made him wonder if he should quit.
“I quit when I was 11 because I thought I hated diving,” Bumgarner said. “I kept swimming and when I got to high school, my old club diving coach was at my first meet. He talked to me and encouraged me to get back into it. I decided I’d give it another try.”
That wasn’t the only time he contemplated leaving the sport, however.
“I also almost quit my junior year of high school,” he continued. “There was a solid week where every time I went to practice I would smack the water flat on my stomach or back. It was one of the hardest times I had to go through, but I was going through the recruiting process and knew that if I kept with it I would be better for it.”
For Bumgarner — and thankfully, for Emory — his perseverance paid off. Now at Emory, he has found a school where he can excel both athletically and academically. He consistently scores over 300 in the 1-meter and 3-meter dive events with his closest competition scoring around 250. Bumgarner has also set multiple school records in the 3-meter dive. On Jan. 26, 2019, he scored a career-high 366.68 over six dives, and during the UAA Championships on Feb. 13, 2019, peaked with 576.15 over 11 dives.
To put this in context, in order to qualify for the NCAA Division III Championships, a diver must score at least 275 for six dives and 425 for 11 dives at 1-meter. Bumgarner’s scores, some over 100 points above the benchmark, propelled him to the NCAA Division III Championships where he placed No. 6 in the nation.
Lucas Bumgarner has solidified himself as a core part of the Emory diving team. Head Coach Jon Howell sees him as a leader.
“Lucas represents the very best of Emory swimming and diving,” Howell said. “For the past two seasons, Lucas has been the backbone of our diving team and has become a leader in our program, overall. As we work to build the diving program, Lucas serves as a great example of what is possible.”
He has also found a great connection with his teammates.
“We do pretty much everything together,” he said. “My roommates are all on the swim and dive team, too — so we swim, eat and work hard together. I can always count on them to have my back.”
Sophomore Sean Byman, Bumgarner’s teammate and roommate, has nothing but respect for his friend and his work ethic.
“He doesn’t really need coaches or teammates to motivate himself; his desire to improve is all from within,” Byman said. “He’s often at the pool training when no coaches are there, doing dive after dive trying to perfect his form. It’s really inspiring to see.”
