When she got to the IU Natatorium last winter for the state diving preliminaries, Greenwood’s Faith Jackson swore she was just happy to be there, and that she didn’t care where she finished.
After she came up .05 points short of advancing to the semifinal round, Jackson was singing another tune.
Now, the senior uses the memory of that disappointment as motivation on a daily basis. So, too, do her coaches.
"She hates when I do it, but every once in a while I’ll stick that little knife in her," Greenwood diving coach Kirk Schreiber said.
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Fortunately, Jackson enjoys diving so much that she doesn’t usually need any additional fuel.
"That (state meet) has really driven me," she said, "but also just my passion for the sport drives me, because while I love competing and I would love to make it to the finals at state, I love the sport so much more."
That love has helped push Jackson to lofty heights already, but she’s got even higher expectations as she heads into the meat of her senior season.
The first item up on her checklist will be the Johnson County meet this month. Jackson finished second to Center Grove’s Sarah Kempf a year ago but enters this time around as the favorite.
Later, she hopes to come out on top against a loaded Mid-State Conference field that includes three top-16 state finishers from last season, and then win sectional and regional titles as well before getting back to state and hopefully making it onto the awards podium.
During that journey, she’ll also be chasing the Greenwood school record. After topping out with a sectional score of 408.20 as a junior, Jackson has her sights set on the 11-dive mark of 477.40, set by 2016 grad Krista Jones.
Jones, who now competes at the University of Pittsburgh, served as a mentor to Jackson during their one year together in Greenwood.
"I look up to her," Jackson said, "so being able to look at her numbers and reach for that is amazing. And if I don’t get them, it’s fine."
Formerly a competitive cheerleader, Jackson took up diving in middle school and quickly caught the attention of Schreiber, who saw potential in her right away.
He’s gotten even more than he expected. Jackson has impressed the coach with her attitude and work ethic as well as her ability to pick up on the nuances of the sport.
"She knows more than I do about diving at this point in her career," Schreiber said. "She comes out of the water, and she tells me what she did wrong. I don’t even have to say anything else — ‘You’re right, Faith.’"
Jackson says that one of the most appealing parts of the sport for her is the individual nature of it. She’s on an island when she’s on that board, but she enjoys having everything within her control.
After she graduates, Jackson will continue diving at Franklin College, where she’ll be able to keep working with her current club coach, Ty Hoffman. That relationship, though, was only part of what drew her to the school.
"The atmosphere, the coach, the team — I fell in love with it the first time I ever went there," said Jackson, who plans to study exercise science for pre-physical therapy while also pursuing a minor in psychology.
But first, there is the business of closing out a successful senior season. And while she does prefer to be on her own in competition, Jackson is still very much a team player when it comes to the Woodmen. She can usually be found poolside during the rest of her team’s meet, cheering on the Greenwood swimmers.
If she has her way, a return to the state meet this February would not be another solo journey.
"It would be awesome to get some of my teammates to come with me to state this year," Jackson said.
