Christensen named top assistant coach for fourth year

Posted 11/9/21

Panther girls’ diving coach Heather Christensen was named the Class 3A Assistant Coach of the Year at the state swimming and diving championships on Friday. Christensen is starting to make it a …

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Christensen named top assistant coach for fourth year

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Panther girls’ diving coach Heather Christensen was named the Class 3A Assistant Coach of the Year at the state swimming and diving championships on Friday. Christensen is starting to make it a habit, as this was her fourth straight year winning the award.

“It truly is an honor,” she said.

Christensen has also made a habit of helping Panthers reach the podium, as she has coached two of the past three state champions: Emma Karhu in 2019 and junior Kami Jensen this year. A Panther diver has made the top five each of the last five years.

When asked what the award meant to her, Christensen had nothing but praise for her divers helping her along the way.

“It is really what they have done,” she said. “I have kind of guided them; it is their hard work that has gotten them here.”

Being a former Panther diver herself, Christensen knows what it takes to help keep the girls calm whenever they hit a rough patch in a competition.

That knowledge came into play on Friday, when Jensen was faced with a seemingly uphill battle after a below average dive left her in the lead by just one point heading into her final dive.

Christensen knew the best path forward was to tell Jensen to let it go, and to change the focus off her previous dive and onto her final dive.

Throughout the season, the Powell High School diving team was one of the most consistent point earners for the Panthers, as Christensen helped Jensen and fellow teammate Taycee Walker reach the podium at the state meet. Jensen, Walker and sophomore Aramoni Brinkerhoff also earned three of the top four places at the Absaroka Conference meet — where Christensen was also honored with assistant coach of the year honors for the conference.

Christensen will return all of her divers except Walker next year, as she will look to guide the Panthers forward to another year of success.

Powell High School, Panther Swimming

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