Matt Gad – Special to Southern News
Selim Lemond’s interscholastic diving career might not have started out in an ideal fashion, however, the current Southern sophomore has endured some pretty incredible accolades on his way to a highly successful 2015 campaign thus far.
The crazy thing is that diving at Southern was not always in the cards. Southern diving coach Jesse Cyr said the coaching staff always try to attract the “blue-chip recruits,” but that is sometimes a struggle because they do not have as much scholarship as some of the major Division-I programs.
Lemond was a walk-on recruit as he started his career as a student-athlete last fall. Cyr said there was a tryout period for several weeks to start. Since then, Lemond’s respect towards his coaches and fellow teammates, as well as his impressive work ethic has never wavered.
“In the past three years I’ve been at SCSU, our team has never gotten along this well,” senior teammate Raymond Snyder said. “We’ve always had good team chemistry, but this year it’s over-the-top.”
Lemond starting diving in his junior year of high school, after his friends urged him to come out for the team. But a place to hang out with friends became much, much more for the distinguished young student-athlete.
“I came up two points short of making states in m junior season”, Lemond said. “Kate Ray, who swims here convinced me to come out for the team when I came to Southern, and I’m really glad I did. [Coach] Jesse [Cyr] is an awesome coach, who can turn anyone into a diver.”
Snyder has referred to Lemond as a “pleasure to have in the pool.” He also referred to his fellow teammate as having “an attitude that motivates the entire team.” Even though as a diver, Lemond does not typically practice with the swimmers, his teammates still refer to him as the “most self-motivated kid they know.”
Snyder also said that Lemond likes to be referred to as “Salim the Dream.” Continuing on that theme, Lemond said at the fact that he loved away meets as a freshman because of the hotel beds, and the views when they went on a training trip to Florida.
“It was my first time, and I just loved the weather,” he said.
Cyr said Lemond already has a “much better grasp of the fundamentals” removed from his first season, and that he never questions his coaches.
“We can’t ask for much more [from him],” he said. “We won’t celebrate until he’s done the best that he can possibly do.”
Simply put, Lemond is as a leader. The Owls have a lot of confidence in their young diver, and the plan is for it to continue to translate in the 2015 campaign, and beyond.
Photo Credit: SCSU Athletic Communications