Ishimatsu gets feel for local life, weather

Tag : precise meter

Ishimatsu's father, Mark, asks himself that sometimes.
"It's just been absolutely incredible," he said.
The 15-year-old Haley, 4-11 and 95 pounds, resumes competitiontonight in the semifinals of 10-meter platform at the U.S. OlympicTrials. Sunday's winner at the Natatorium at IUPUI makes the team,and a second diver will be announced July 7 after a selectionchamp.
Haley and her sister, Tory, 19, have lived with their father in acondo off Massachusetts Avenue since September 2006. They moved sothey could be at USA Diving's national training center.
The girls' mother, Carol, a pediatrician, stayed at the family homein Seal Beach, Calif. But she is in Indy regularly, including thisweek for the trials.
The Ishimatsus will be reunited in California next year. Tory, whois competing in the trials on 3-meter springboard, will be a diverfor USC and Haley for the Trojan Dive Club.
Meanwhile, the sisters have embraced their Hoosier home -- and whatHaley called the "unpredictable weather." When they saw their firstsnowfall, they ran around trying to lick the flakes.
They walk to events at the Murat Theatre and shop at Mass. Ave.stores such as Silver in the City and Global Gifts. They are "hugeColts fans," their father said.
"Because it is such a universal aspect here. It helps them feellike they have a connection to the city and the people," MarkIshimatsu said.
Haley was introduced to diving in October 2004 by Tory, who hadquit gymnastics because of injury. Haley switched gyms after acoach was fired, and she said a new coach wanted her to train eightor nine hours a day.
Then she fractured her elbow.
"I said, 'OK, that's it,' " Haley said.
Her diving career launched like a rocket. In her first juniornational meet, in 2005, she won two bronze medals. She was in aninternational meet by age 13.
Moving to Indianapolis required the sisters to receive educationthrough online classes because daily training is from 7:30 a.m. to5:30 p.m., with a two-hour break. Away from the pool, reading isHaley's favorite pastime.
"I've heard that high school social life is really just overrated,"she said. "I think that stuff has been balanced out by what I'vebeen able to achieve."
In the past four national meets, she has finished second, first,third and second. At the 2007 Pan American Games, she won silverand teamed with Elwood's Mary Beth Dunnichay for a synchronizedbronze.
In Wednesday's first round at the trials, Haley had the top scoreand trailed only former Olympic champion Laura Wilkinson, whostarted with 25 bonus points.
Those two Americans are among only three women in the world who doa back 31/2 pike. It is mostly a dive for men.
Paradoxically, Haley has acknowledged a fear of heights. She divesoff the 33-foot platform but said if she were asked to dropstraight down, she would refuse to do so.
"I'm amazed by her fearlessness to go off 10 meter," Tory said."She's a little stud."
Haley's difficulty of dives could allow her to be a contender inBeijing, according to Ron O'Brien, the USA Diving high performancedirector. What she lacks is consistency of an experienced diver.
Her precise twists and turns off the tower are hard to appreciatewhen viewed in real time. A slow-motion camera is needed.
Except nothing about Haley's diving has been slow. It's all a blur.
"She really does have the capacity, on a given day, to win the goldmedal," O'Brien said.