The University of Wisconsin had not been home to a Big Ten women’s diver of the week since 2001. That all changed two weeks ago when Amanda Witte accomplished the feat — as a sophomore.

“It was exciting with the team because the swimmers have been getting them and it’s nice to have a diver get one too,” she said of her honor.

Witte went on to say that while it was a privilege to receive an award given to only the best divers, she does not place herself among the nation’s elite just yet; but even she would have trouble denying the elite status of her team. The women’s swimming and diving team ranked 8th in the latest CSCAA dual meet.

“We all go into Big Tens and nationals working as a team, knowing what people have to place where, just knowing that you go in there, do your best and it all will turn out well,” Witte said.

After several weeks off from meets, Witte is ready to get back into action this Friday in the Big Ten Quad Duals at the Natatorium.

“We are getting back into it here,” she said of her team after a trip to Hawaii for two meets in early January. “Hawaii was kind of the down period with only a couple meets and now we are getting right back into the end of our season.”

Hailing from LaGrange, Ill., Witte knew from a young age that she wanted to dive.

“I told my mom when I was eight years old that I wanted to dive,” she said. “I dove in the summer and then in sixth grade I started training year round. My sister did it too, so we were in it together.”

With all the hours spent training, Witte has learned to love the many aspects of the sport.

“It gives you the best of both worlds,” she explained. “It works all muscles but it’s also completely mental.”

However, diving is different from many other sports in its mental challenges.

“People get psyched up for their sports and have their adrenaline flow, but [in diving] you have to tame your adrenaline too,” she said. “You have to get your adrenaline up but you also have to keep it under control so you can do the dive.”

These mental challenges coupled with Witte’s new diver-of-the-week status keep her striving to improve. While the added pressure of such an accolade is on her mind, she isn’t losing sleep over it.

“It adds pressure because now I feel like I have to go out there and prove myself, which I want to do,” she said. “But in the same way it relieves it because I know what I can do.”

With her great attitude and commitment to diving, it is unlikely that UW will have another diver-of-the-week drought anytime soon.