PRIESTLY MAKING A SPLASH ON A NATIONAL LEVEL

Author(s):    Nancy L. Marrapese, Globe Staff Date: December 4, 1989 Page: 55 Section: SPORTS

Sheila Priestly remembers a moment in August just before her name was announced as winner of the 13-and-under United States National Junior Olympic 3-meter Springboard Title.

Priestly, of Westford, was with her mother and coach Joe Chirico at the competition held outside Houston. Right before they announced my name, I said, 'Wake up Sheila, it's not real,' " said Priestly, 13. "I had dreamed about it so much, it was almost like deja vu when it happened."

To hear Chirico talk about her, it almost sounds as if Priestly was born to it.

"She's gifted," said Chirico, who is the Northeastern University diving coach and 1989 NCAA Coach of the Year as well as coach for the Boston Area Divers with Jim Kelly. "I knew she had it the first time I saw her dive."

Priestly was 6 then and had been a regular visitor to the Westford Swim and Tennis Club to swim as well as watch her older brother, Teddy, dive.

"The first time I saw her dive, she dove off the 1-meter, went to the bottom of the 12 1/2-foot pool and swam along the bottom to the side," said Chirico. "You just didn't see kids her age do that. Most of them would just dive in and pop back up."

Priestly, who also took third place in the 1-meter national diving competition, has come a long way since those early days. She practices for two hours a day, several days a week, commuting between Northeastern and Atkinson Pool in Sudbury.

But she almost didn't make it to the nationals. In fact, she almost quit the sport altogether.

"About two years ago, I lost all my optionals," said Priestly, meaning that she could no longer visualize a successful dive in order to perform it. "I really love diving. My first years it was fun, then as I got older it started getting tougher. I got frustrated. I couldn't visualize the dives so I couldn't do them."

Priestly started attending practice more often in an effort to work her way through it but it wasn't easy. I'd go to practice and think about quitting. I'd say 'This is it, this is my last practice.' But my coaches helped me. They understood that I was frustrated. I thought I was really close to quitting. I kept telling everyone it was my last practice and they'd said, 'No, you just have to keep trying.' "

It didn't come back all at once, but after a period of time, she was able to hit her dives again.

Her specialty dives on the 3-meter are the two and one-half somersault and the inward one and one-half somersault pike. Her specialties on the 1-meter are the forward one and one-half somersault with a twist, and a forward double somersault pike.

Now an eighth grader, Priestly, who is 5-feet-1, goes to Abbott Middle School in Westford, where she is also an honor student and a cheerleader.

Her plans are to dive during high school at Westford Academy, try to get a scholarship to dive in college for four years and then pursue another, different career. One factor she's concerned about is burnout.

"If I dive too much, I'm afraid I'll burn out," she said.

Priestly, who has been diving for five years with Boston Area Divers, has won four New England Age Group Championships. In the nationals, which involve eight dives, Priestly nailed them all and said that consistency was what won it for her over Jenny Keim, who is coached by US Olympic coach Ron O'Brien, best known for his work with Greg Louganis.

Right now, Priestly said her aspirations don't include the Olympics.

"It's never really been a dream," she said.

She talks about taking the summer off from diving, of spending time with friends and getting ready to move on to high school.

She is prequalified for next year's nationals in Arizona in the 3-meter event if she desires to pursue it.

"Her future is certainly bright. She's a force to be reckoned with," said Chirico. "She could be the best senior high diver Massachusetts has seen ever. She still has a lot of improving to do. She hasn't reached her potential yet. She's extremely smart."

But Chirico said he isn't pushing.

"I'd rather see her happy than see her dive," he said.

Though Sheila worries about burning out, her mother, Joyce, doesn't think it's a problem.

"I think she has second thoughts, afraid she'll burn out. She said she'd like to take her eighth grade summer off. But then, that's what she said last year, too.

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