by Linley Grosman '28

Throughout her collegiate experience, diver Sadie Smith has excelled in and out of the pool, most recently placing sixth and being named an All-American for three-meter diving at the NCAA DIII Championships.
 
Sadie's first memory of sports is when she leveled up after completing a back handspring at gymnastics. She continued in the gym until a broken arm caused her to need surgery, unofficially ending her gymnastics career.   
 
"I did summer diving at my local community pool and then fell in love with it. I tried out for a club when I was fourteen and was selected to be a part of their national team, so that's when my diving career really took off."
 
Sadie continued to train and excel in the sport, supported by her newfound teammates and coaches. Growing up in Arlington, Virginia, Sadie was surrounded by talented swimmers and divers from the DMV area.
 
"We had a big team, but I was lucky enough to practice at one of the pools that had a full tower platform. There weren't that many [divers] when I first started, but by the time I graduated high school, I was competing in meets with 65 to 70 people. I was in a group with six people with one coach, so I got a lot of one-on-one attention that helped me really grow as an athlete."
In her sophomore year of high school, competing in National Competitions with divers who were already in conversation with Division I schools, Sadie knew she too wanted to pursue collegiate athletics, but maybe at a different style school.
 
"I fell in love with Bowdoin because I came here on a summer day, and I could totally see myself going to this school. I loved the team and the coaches, and I wanted to pick a school that allowed me to practice my sport and be a student. I felt like DIII was the best option for that."
 
In her four years as a student-athlete, Sadie has shined in all facets. As a freshman in 2022, Sadie became the NESCAC and the Regional champion for 3-meter diving. After consistent sophomore and junior seasons, Sadie was ready to kick it up a notch for her senior season. And she did just that, coming second in the NESCAC Championships and qualifying for the 1- and 3-meter dives at NCAA DIII Championships, where she finished sixth place in the 3 meters. An All-American in her senior season, Sadie will leave Bowdoin holding the best score for 3-meter diving by a Polar Bear.
 
A biology major with an education coordinate, Sadie knew she wanted to pursue STEM before coming to Bowdoin but has appreciated the variety of classes in her four years.
 
"I think the wide range of class offerings has helped me be curious. Last semester I took an immunology course that was one of my favorite classes I've ever taken at Bowdoin. One super awesome thing about being a student-athlete at Bowdoin is that you can study abroad. I went to Australia, and got to take a human anatomy class, which piqued my interest in health and pushed me to want to continue my dreams of doing a profession in medicine. I am extremely grateful to Bowdoin for supporting me in that endeavor and then allowing me to have all my prerequisites for any potential health care graduate school."
 
Starting this summer, Sadie hopes to start working as an EMT, possibly in the Brunswick area. In addition to her own diving practices, Sadie volunteers to teach kids (and adults) how to swim and dive at Greason Pool. She also started her own dive club, which Sadie finds very rewarding given how much coaching and support she had when she started diving.
As Sadie wrapped up her tremendous collegiate career, she noted her immense gratitude for her teammates.
 
"One memory that stands out this year is at the NCAA regional meet, which could have been my last meet or not (depending on results). I didn't look at scores, my teammates didn't look at scores, and my coaches didn't look at scores until the meet had concluded. Regardless, [one of my teammates] came up to me and we just hugged each other for what felt like forever. It wasn't until after we ended that hug, she said, 'Did you make it to nationals?' And I said, 'Oh, I don't know'. And she said, 'Well, I'm so proud of you'. I think that sums up my experience as a Bowdoin athlete and what I hope other people feel like in athletics. No matter how well you perform, your teammates and coaches are there to support you and love you regardless of your end result."