LF_040518

30 | April 5, 2018 | The lake forest leader SPORTS
LakeForestLeader.com
Forester’s Ogawa named DIII Diver of the Year
Erin Redmond
Freelance Reporter
When Heath Ogawa first
learned he was named the
NCAA Division III Diver
of the Year, he didn’t react
like most would expect.
In fact, he wasn’t sure
how to react at all.
The Lake Forest College
junior, a native of
Japan, said he had to ask
his coach what the award
meant. Prior to winning
it, he said, he had no idea
such a thing existed.
Being name the NCAA
DIII Diver of the Year
is the latest in a long list
of accomplishments the
Deerfield resident has
earned.
After two previous trips
to the national tournament
where he finished outside
of the Top 10, Ogawa finally
brought home a national
title in the 3-meter
dive after the March 21
NCAA DIII Men’s Swimming
& Diving Championship
in Grinnell, Iowa.
Two days later he took
home third in the 1-meter
dive at the tournament
and had previously been
named an All-American.
So, when he came to realize
just how big a deal
being named the NCAA
Diver of the Year was,
Ogawa said it was the icing
on his slice of humble
pie.
“Winning NCAA was
definitely something that
was my end goal. … Last
year I came into the competition
really focused on
a goal … and put myself
on a pedestal pretty hard.
It was a humbling year
last year,” Ogawa said.
“This year, I came in and
I still had that goal to win,
but instead of focusing on
that, I really wanted to enjoy
the process during the
competition and all the
emotions. I think that really
helped me perform
well.”
After winning a national
title and two prestigious
national accolades, Ogawa
couldn’t help but laugh
thinking about his beginnings
in the sport.
At 14, he moved to
Highland Park from Japan
following the 2011 earthquake
that devastated the
country. With the future of
the ravaged nation unclear,
Ogawa’s parents sent him
overseas to continue his
education and he moved
in with a family friend in
Highland Park. It was here
that and began competing
in gymnastics and diving
for Highland Park High
School— though the latter
took a bit of convincing to
get him started.
“I don’t want to say I
hated [diving] — that’s not
the right word — but during
the season I was thinking
about [what changed],”
he said. “It was hard being
in a new country, learning
a new language and we
had to wake up every day
at 5 in the morning. … It
was hard for me to get up
every day early and get on
the diving board and face
[my] fear.”
It wasn’t so much of a
“what” that helped change
Ogawa’s view on the
sport, but rather a who.
Circumstances forced
the then-sophomore to
move to Deerfield and
transfer to Deerfield High
School. But he did see a
familiar face.
The Deerfield diving
coach, Doug Foerch,
was also the gymnastics
coach at Highland
Park and when Ogawa
switched schools, their relationship
blossomed.
“He became my diving
coach as well as my gymnastics
coach,” Ogawa
said. “We really became
close and I think that relationship
really helped me
in sports.”
Ogawa saw some success
at the high school
level, qualifying for the
state tournament his senior
year. He went in with no
expectations, but ended
up missing the final day
by one spot and finishing
13th. Only the Top 12 advance
to the finals.
He didn’t let that bother
him, however, saying he
was just there to soak up
the experience. In fact,
he had exceeded what he
thought he’d do, saying he
would’ve been happy with
16th.
But when he got to college,
Ogawa pushed harder.
With a goal of winning
a national title, Ogawa put
in extra work in the offseason.
And that, he believes,
is the difference between
him and his competition.
“I asked myself the
same question: what
makes people successful?”
Ogawa said. “You have a
set program, people are
following that program,
but some might work a
little harder outside of that
program.
“At the end of the day,
we’re all following the
same program, so why do
some people succeed and
have a bunch of success?”
“I think it’s not really
[what you do] during the
season; I think it’s also
what you do during the
offseason. … I think the
strong desire to succeed
is what fuels me outside
— not only during practice
time — but outside at
school,” he said.
Lake Forest College’s Heath Ogawa poses for a photo with his Diver of the Year
award March 24 at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photos submitted
Heath Ogawa, a junior at Lake Forest College, prepares for a dive during the
competition.
With one title under his
belt and another season of
competition ahead, Ogawa
said he still has some
things he wants to achieve
before his Forester days
are behind him.
“I would like to win both
boards. … I don’t want to
say it’s a goal; it’s a desire,”
he said. “My goal
was to win Nationals and I
don’t want to say I wasn’t
expecting it, but it was a
surprise. … I just want to
continue getting better and
if I can inspire other people,
that’s the goal.”