by Joey Papania
LSUsports.net
As the Summer Olympics near, many hopefuls prepare to represent their respective countries in what is considered the pinnacle of an athlete’s career. Sadly, others have fallen just short of these dreams. While others, like LSU’s Ashley Culpepper, deal with the unsettling task of waiting.
The U.S. Olympic diving team will be taking two female divers in the 3-meter. Culpepper finished third in the Olympic trials this year, but there is still a strong possibility that she could be on her way to Sydney, should one of the other two divers be unable to fulfill their duties.
“The fact that I may not get to go to Sydney is a big let down,” the Austin native said. “I have put a lot of things on hold right now, especially academically.”
Culpepper recently finished her third year of eligibility with the LSU swimming and diving team, and what a year it was. This year’s 3-meter NCAA diving champion was not only named the SEC Diver of the Year, but was also named the National Diver of the Year. All these accomplishments came after the third surgery to her right knee.
“It’s been a long, hard road,” Culpepper explained. “I had knee surgery in December, and I had to battle to come back. I ended up having a great year, which I never really anticipated. But, the surgery couldn’t wait. The doctors said I’d be out for about six to eight weeks, but I came back in four. Everything just skyrocketed after the pain was gone.”
With the absence of physical pain now comes the pain of uncertainty. Last season, she became one of only three women that qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in both the 3-meter and the platform. Despite being named an All-American in the 1998-99 season, she was not selected.
But, Culpepper is no stranger to success. As a freshman, she made an immediate impact on the LSU club. She earned All-American honors on the platform, was the only Lady Tiger to compete at the NCAA Championships, and was named the team MVP.
As a sophomore, she was named as an NCAA All-American on both the three-meter and the platform. She was LSU’s top scorer on all three boards and was selected as the Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive year.
Prior to attending LSU, she was a four-time high school All-American and the 1996 state Champion in her hometown, Texas. She was also a part of both the Junior and Senior U.S. National Teams in 1996 and 1997. She was a bronze medal winner at the Junior Olympics in both the 3-meter and platform events in 1996. In 1997, she took the gold medal in the Junior Olympics 3-meter event.
“To tell you the truth, I think being a part of the junior and senior teams was a lot harder,” said Culpepper. “I had to go to both indoors and outdoors for Junior Nationals and then turn right around and go to Senior Nationals. Of course, when I began competing in college, I would have to keep up with the college season and then turn around and compete in the U.S season. So, I guess it sort of evens out. Now when I graduate, I will probably compete solely in U.S. competition, which will be a lot easier.”
But what does the future hold for Ashley Culpepper? Right now, she is simply taking some time off from a busy and successful year while waiting for the possibility to represent the United States in Sydney this
September.
As for the distant future, she says she will take things one step at a time. Her first goal is to return for her senior year to continue an already outstanding career with the LSU program.
After graduation, who knows?