Athletic Communications sat down with senior standout diver Anders Logas prior to the season-opener on Friday evening at American.

How did you get into diving? What other sports did you compete in as a child?

Growing up, I played a variety of sports. My dad was the coach of my Little League team. I played T-ball, soccer, and basketball for a couple of years each.  I was all over the place. I had a short stint in kung fu for three months, and then I ended up quitting because I didn't earn my yellow belt. I became a little bitter, and as a result, I had no sports to play at that time.  I told my mom that I would like to be a gymnast, but she firmly said no.  ' How about diving? She signed me up for some lessons, and I have loved it ever since. I've been diving for 11 years now, since I was nine or ten.

Why did you decide to stick with diving?

I want to be perfect in everything I do. I really love the whole competitive aspect of it. You compete as a team, but you can have individual goals that far surpass your team goals. You know that if your team has an off day and you still hit your personal goals, it's great. You also see if you don't hit your individual goals, but you can celebrate hitting your team goals as well. There's just a lot to love about the competition.

Can you describe the feeling you get right before you're about to dive and when you're midair?

Standing on the board can sometimes be intimidating, especially if it's a dive that's not your favorite.  You see the end of the board, and you can see the height disparity from the water, and you know you're pretty high up. But I've been practicing for a long time, and our coach, Jeff Fisher, always has positive words for us. I look at the end of the board, and I take a couple of breaths to get my nerves out. I shake a little, and then I go and do what I do. Being in the air is honestly really fun. Many people feel dizzy when they start flipping for the first time. I think I've just become resistant to that. So, when I'm in the air, I can see all the things moving around me. I can see the wall, the ceiling, the board, and the water. I really like the adrenaline that comes with flying through the air. When you execute a perfect dive, it's a great feeling to glide effortlessly through the water. It's almost like you teleport through. One moment you're up, the next you're down, and then you return up out of the water. Whoever the audience is, if it's just your teammates and your coach at practice, they're hooting and hollering for you. If it's at a meet, you've got the fans, as well as your teammates and your coach, all cheering for you. It's just pure excitement.

So what does a typical training day look like for you?

It depends on the time of the season. You know, this past month, we haven't had any meets. So, team, we've been working on a lot of fundamentals —skills that help us build to those bigger dives, do them better, and get stronger so we can achieve cleaner scores and improve our performance. But now, as we approach meets, we're creating our competition lists, outlining the activities we'll do in the meets, gathering some numbers, and still receiving corrections. We're also applying the basics we worked on over the past month.

What's the camaraderie like between the UMBC divers? Is there a special bond between your group and the rest of the team?

Dive is its own specific family. We love the swimmers. They're still my family too, but diving, it's a bit, you know, it's a smaller circle. Our practice times differ from those of the swimmers. They vary a little bit. So, we see each other the most. In fact, roommates are three other divers, and they're my best friends. And there's really nothing like the UMBC camaraderie we had at the conference meet last year. Five members of our team qualified for the three-meter finals, and five members advanced to the one-meter finals.  And having every single one of our men in those two finals, and the energy that we brought. I was jumping up and down in between my dives, screaming for my teammates. I don't care if they beat me because when I see them do what they know how to do and do it to the best of their capabilities, it's fantastic.

Can you tell me about your injury? What was that like? You missed your whole sophomore season. Is that correct?

Yes, I received a medical red shirt for my sophomore year. I broke my hands doing a reverse two-and-a-half somersault. Additionally, "gainer" is another term people use for "reverse." You know, it was unfortunate. It was a week before the conference, you know, the biggest meet of the year. And I worked so hard. I was coming off a different injury and all that hard work. It shatters you a little bit. However, it taught me how hard I can work, as there is no easy route. It's only, you know, step after step after step. There will inevitably be conflicts at times, but these experiences have taught me how to work effectively. Although it was tragic and not enjoyable, I'm better off having that experience be a part of my career and who I am now.

Was that the first big injury you've had to deal with?

I broke my thumb when I was in fifth grade, but that injury was not severe. Bilateral hand surgery is a different monster for sure.

Was it a tough rehab?

It was frustrating rather than physically demanding. Not having both your hands at your disposal is frustrating. I had three fingers available to use. I had to have my dad help me put on my shoes for a while. I had my parents help get me dressed, and then you know, slowly as I got better and better through occupational therapy and physical therapy I got more independent.

Describe the difference between one meter and three meters. How does your approach differ?

On one meter, you have a lot less time to do dives. You're two meters closer to the water, so you have less time to do the dive, which can make it a lot harder to be more aesthetically pleasing. Typically, you're just hurling yourself off the board, trying to do as many flips as you can. There's a very elite few who can do that and look beautiful in the air. Whereas three meters, that's more my domain. I've seen more success on three meters. It's scarier, but I enjoy the adrenaline rush.  I have experienced increased success in that setting, as it enables me to demonstrate the elegance of my diving technique and perform more challenging dives, resulting in higher scores.

But you won the one meter at the 2023 America East Championships, right?

Yeah, that is true. Not what I thought was going to happen, but that is correct, yeah, I won the one meter.

Was winning the 1-meter at America East Championships the proudest moment in your career?

It's actually not. My proudest moment isn't even necessarily winning individually. This past year, you know, coming off the injury and knowing what I can do, and how I've set myself back, being in that three-meter final, I didn't do too well in that prelim, so I barely qualified for that final. I was one point away from missing that final, but I told my coach all I needed was a chance. I was able to perform after having all these setbacks, and you know, when the moment really mattered, I stepped up, and so did my teammates, and we all celebrated each other. I might not have finished first, but second isn't bad.

You're from Dallas. What has the transition been like, you know, from Texas to living here in Baltimore?

I'm far from home, and all my family is in Texas. So, it's kind of been me just all by myself. You know, I call them pretty frequently to update them on my life, what I'm doing, and how I'm doing. But I didn't find the transition hard because of the team. It's your immediate family; you walk in, and everyone might not be your best friend, but everyone's there for each other. Everyone has common goals; you want to be the best, and you know everybody cares. It was very nice to come into something and already have friends, without having to start anew. It felt like home immediately.

What advice would you give to some younger folks looking to pursue diving at the collegiate level?

Take risks. It's easy to be scared of the more challenging dives or correcting what you're not comfortable with because it's scary. There are consequences to your actions in the air, and I know that more brutally than some others. But it's okay to mess up and not be perfect on the first try, because you won't be perfect on the first try. You have to work towards it. You don't practice to get it right. You practice until you can't get it wrong. So don't be afraid to take that step, don't be scared to throw the dive, and do the correction

What are your goals for this season for you personally and for the team?

My goal is to get my NCAA zone cuts on both boards. I've been on three meters the past two years. The one meter is less of my domain, but I want both this year. I also want to make the final in both events. Our team's goal is to win the America East Championship. We want another win. It's been a couple of years since the last title. The whole team wants it, and even if we don't get it, we're putting up a damn good fight.

What would you tell a recruit who is considering UMBC?

Our program is one of the most tightly knit in the country. The kindness and camaraderie that come with being a UMBC Retriever are second to none, and we all want to be better than the day before. So, if you want to get faster, dive better, and feel appreciated and loved, and have a family, here's where you need to go.

Before a meet, what do you listen to to hype yourself up?

Bruno Mars is my go-to music. That worked very well at the conference meet last year.

How much preparation is needed to start getting into the zone?

I personally can flip a switch. I can be laughing and joking on the pool deck, but the second I feel the grit of the diving board underneath my feet, I'm there. I'm locked in.

Finally, what are your goals after school? What's your major? Have you thought about what you want to do?

Yes, I'm an information systems major, so I have a lot of computer-related coursework. I don't have a specific goal, but I still have a little time. I'm going to enjoy myself.