The Indiana swim and dive program has a habit of producing Olympic talent and Big Ten and national champions. In just the past few years, the program has produced Cody Miller, Ian Finnerty, Lily King, and many others.
The newest addition to that group is two-time National Champion and Big Ten Diver of the Year Andrew Capobianco.
After winning the 3-meter dive national championship in 2019 with a score of 461.55, he knew he would be the one being hunted come 2021. He took an Olympic redshirt in 2019-2020, but returned with his best stuff, winning the Big Ten Diver of the Year award and then backing up his national championship with a score of 505.20, where he wrapped up the event with his career best dive.
“Usually in the finals, if I start off well, it pretty much leads into the rest of the dives going well for me,” Capobianco said. “So right from that first dive, I knew that I had something special there.”
Big Ten Diver of the Year and National Champion Andrew Capobianco and Indiana Diving Coach Drew Johansen discuss the Big Ten Championships and what the journey was like to get to the 2021 National Championships.
He knew what he had to do, having won the same event two years prior. He stacked his dives so that his best dives were the final three, knowing that if he was able to perform the final few, he would have plenty of points to win another national championship, which he did to perfection.
His coach, Drew Johansen, could see everything unfolding, starting in the Big Ten Championships. Each dive seemed to improve upon the last, leading, of course, to the national championship performance. Because of COVID-19, the schedule was organized in a way that kept athletes from competing for over a year, forcing Capobianco to shake the rust off in the Big Ten Championships. He looked as though he was not affected, winning the 1-meter dive championships right out of the gate.
“I just watched it evolve from the Big Ten, each dive, and then culminating in that national championship in 3-meter, it was awesome to watch,” Johansen said.
Capobianco is the first ever diver to win back-to-back national championships, but he had to change up his mentality to win year two.
“It put a target on my back leading into the meet,” Capobianco said. “It definitely brought out the best of me.”
Big Ten Diver of the Year and National Champion Andrew Capobianco and Indiana Diving Coach Drew Johansen discuss the National Championships as well as the lasting impact that Capobianco will have on the Indiana diving program.
Capobianco is one of the most talented divers Indiana’s program has ever seen, but when it comes to what he has accomplished at Indiana, he is quick to point to team accomplishments instead of anything he achieved by himself.
“I just really like the whole team aspect,” Capobianco said. “Competing with the team and winning the Big Ten title was probably my highlight so far, and hopefully we can get back to that next year.”
You only get four chances at a national title in your collegiate career, and Capobianco certainly has taken advantage of his opportunities. He’s one of the most talented divers that Johansen has been privileged enough to coach, and he’s hopeful that what Capobianco has done will help bring more Capobianco’s to the swim and dive program.
“To know that we have time ahead of us, and the team that’s being built around the IU swimming and diving program, with Andrew’s success, is attracting some of the best young talent as well,” Johansen said. “When he looks back, when it’s all done, he’s going to see a legacy that he’s built that’s going to continue for years to come.”
