by C. GARRETT KEIDEL, Asst. Sports Editor
Lexington Passamonte is a freshman on the swimming and diving team. Currently she has aspirations to go to dental school after her time at Manhattan College, but at the moment she’s a young talent on the diving team, setting and breaking school records in her short time already at the college.
The Quadrangle: How did you get into sports, diving in particular?
Lexington Passamonte: Well I have always done sports a lot. When I was little, my dad’s a coach so he would get me into soccer and all sorts of things. With diving in particular, I did gymnastics for a while, and then once I stopped, my parents suggested diving to me. I started doing that with a club team and then high school.
TQ: What has been your experience so far as a college athlete?
LP: It has been good. I have made a lot of friends, which is cool. Competition is less stressful here. I know exactly what I need to do. At high school, swimming and diving were separated and dead silent, but here there is some noise going on so it feels more relaxed.
TQ: What was it about Manhattan College that made you want to come here?
LP: Mainly the people and the environment. Compared to other schools, everyone is a lot nicer and Manhattan feels more home like.
TQ: What do you/did you hope to get out of being a Division 1 athlete?
LP: I hope to specifically learn a 3-meter list and eventually get it down pretty solid. I think I’m on my way for doing that. I recently set the record in that event and broke it last week. I hope to keep breaking that record and the 1-meter record we have.
TQ: What were/are some of your emotions watching your early successes?
LP: Well at first I was very nervous because it was my first time on the 3-meter. Once I set the record then I realized this is pretty easy. Going into the second time I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to break my first record but then I was able to do so. It was an exciting and good day for sure.
TQ: Have you ever had a favorite diver or someone that you looked up to in the sport?
LP: I like Tom Daley. I have watched him in the Olympics and even before the Olympics. He’s just one of the top competitors in diving.
TQ: Do you have any favorite memories in diving or in sports in general?
LP: I would say the other day at practice. I learned a new dive, a back one and a half twist with one-and-a-half flips. I was nervous about trying it because I had tried a similar dive previously and it was not the best. So doing this one well and getting it down pretty solid felt great.
TQ: Do you have any goals academically or in your diving?
LP: Academically, I want to come out of Manhattan College and go to dental school also with a major in marketing. Hopefully I will open up my own practice one day. With my diving, I want to get my two-and-a-halves on the 3 meter.
TQ: What’s your favorite part about diving?
LP: We go to practice at NYU and I think that’s really cool. In high school I practiced with a different team as well. This is a similar situation and this is an opportunity to meet other divers and to make more friends from this.
TQ: Any other final comments or messages for the school community?
LP: Go Jaspers!