West diver Thomas ready for next phase

IOWA CITY - Jacintha Thomas, an Iowa City West senior, is one of the most accomplished divers in Iowa high school history.

Now she will take those talents to the University of Iowa, where she signed last week.

Thomas has broken multiple records, including some of her own. She placed second at state in 2013, and recorded the highest total score in state diving history (561.10), beating the previous record by more than 25 points (535.70), while winning a state title in the fall.

Besides her accomplishments in the pool she also has had a very accomplished career in the classroom. Thomas earned All-Academic honors for the state and the Mississippi Valley Conference.

The combination of these two skills enabled Thomas to have multiple options for college. Thomas looked into Iowa State, Stanford and Richmond, but decided on Iowa.

'I decided on Iowa because I really liked the coach and the team and we all got along well,” she said. 'When I went up on my recruiting trip, they (the coach and the team) were all very welcoming and are like a family.”

Although athletics are a big part of Thomas' college future, she still wants to focus on her studies.

'Iowa has a good pre-med program that will prepare me for medical school,” she said.

The location was also a factor in Thomas' decision.

'It's close to home so my parents can come to meets and watch me grow as a college athlete,” she said.

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