Our little diver **heart eyes**

 On the way home from Hilton Head, we were all glued to the USA Olympic diving trials. 

Ben streamed the sound on his phone through the car speakers, and everyone who was not driving watched on a device. Coop was thrilled to see 2 UW Badger idols (amazoing, kind dudes. he knows and dives with) competing. If those divers made it to semifinals, we planned to stop in Knoxville, TN, to watch. (They did not make semis, but they were amazing in prelims, and we all loved cheering them on).

 The trials got Cooper SO EXCITED to compete in the Zones championships in Madison last weekend (at the same time girls and I were at dance nats). We were thrilled because he has been very much in his own head re: diving and having sort of a hard time lately and before his injury.

Coop broke his toes, remember, and was only cleared to return to regular diving the Monday we got back from vacay. He had been able to do 1-meter dives and SOME 3-meter, but he had not been on a platform in over 8 weeks. He had a challenging road ahead from our perspective. But he was cool as a cucumber on the news.

He wanted to finish in the top 3 in each of his events at Zones because the top 3 divers from each Zone (there are 6) automatically make the national semifinal round. The other Zones divers (top 10 go to nats from each Zone) have to battle it out for the remaining 6 semifinal spots in a really tough preliminary round.

He qualified to nationals in platform on Friday with a 5th place finish. He was REALLY SAD because he balked on his hand stand and had to start over, which is an automatic 2-point deduction. Had he not balked, he might have placed third in a tough field. It was a really good lesson in keeping his lows high and his highs low and being a good teammate, though, because he had friends and teammates not qualify at all. He had to be a good sport, and he needed to be so proud of himself because qualifying is a huge accomplishment!

Saturday, he took third in 3-meter and was ECSTATIC. Then in a super cool move, he invited a Milwaukee diver (who beat him the previous day in platform) to come to our pool and hang out and practice for their Sunday 1-meter comp. I love that these 2 fierce little divers are friends and would love to see them as synchro partners on a bigger stage someday.

Sunday, he took third again in 1-meter-- a HUGE accomplishment in a really tight field.

He's on his way to USA Diving Junior Nationals in West Virginia, and will be semi-finalist in both springboard events, and we are SO SO SO proud and excited!

(And it is Little League All-Star season, so, yep, that's a baseball uniform LOL)