Photo: Emily Paine

After repetitive injuries forced an early end to her 11-year-long gymnastics career at age 14, Meghan Catherwood ’25 could’ve given up all that twisting and flipping for good. Instead, she made a splash in a different sport: diving.

In March 2023, Catherwood represented Bucknell as a sophomore at the NCAA Zone A Diving Championships, a significant accomplishment that required consistent high-level performances throughout the season. Catherwood was the first Bison diver to qualify in nearly a decade (following Katie Hetherington ’15, who competed in 2012).

Catherwood was considered a latecomer to the sport when she transitioned to her Monroe-Woodbury, N.Y., high school diving team as a freshman. Everything that made her successful as a USA Gymnastics Level 9 athlete — strength, control, discipline, focus — carried over to the natatorium.

Still, diving has its own techniques and strategies, so Catherwood needed to become a student of the sport. She developed new skills, practiced landing head first and determined her preferred fulcrum setting to adjust the spring of the board. Catherwood also noticed something that surprised her as she bounced on the springboard above the pool. “I had less fear than I did in gymnastics,” she says, “because the landing was a lot softer.”

By her sophomore year of high school, Catherwood demonstrated great potential for the sport. As a junior, she medaled at invitational meets and finished 10th in the state. That’s when schools like Bucknell took notice.

“It was rewarding to see that all the time I put into gymnastics gave me the ability to dive at a competitive level that interested Division I schools,” she says.

Although Catherwood wasn’t able to participate in traditional recruitment visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic, her virtual interaction with diving coach Errol Carter and members of the team made an impactful impression that led her to ultimately choose Bucknell.

“Even though I couldn’t actually meet the team in person, it felt like a really welcoming environment and community. My goal had always been to attend an academically challenging school with a great diving program. For me, Bucknell had that perfect combination,” says the biology major, who is on a pre-health track. “I felt like this was a place where I could thrive.”

Catherwood says her athletic and academic lives have benefited from being part of such a hard-working team. “We are very evenly matched in terms of our skills and our work ethic,” she says. “It’s fun to work with people who have similar mindsets. We push each other in practice and competition, and it’s really special to be a part of.”