Q&A with All-American Bryce Cousins

West Clermont’s Bryce Cousins was recently named an All-American, joining Anderson’s Noah Horwitz as one of only two divers from Southwest Ohio to receive this prestigious honor. I caught up with Bryce to get his thoughts!

Q: What does the honor of being named an All-American mean to you?

A: Being named All-American is such an honor! Three years ago today I wouldn’t have even thought about coming close to being considered for All-American and especially not getting it. It’s such a blessing to be able to be surrounded by such an amazing group of athletes and coaches to support me and encourage me to do my best at all times. Getting All-American just makes me understand how blessed I am and tells me my work is paying off.

Q: Does this achievement give you added confidence moving forward in your diving career?

A: Yes, earning the title All-American gives me a strong presence of mind. But I am aware this is the very beginning, and I have to work harder and harder to peak myself into the best athlete I can be.

Q: What did you do to make this achievement possible?

A: To make this achievement possible I put in countless hours of work in and away from the pool. I have spent many hours reviewing my own films as well as watching other professional divers. I want to study and improve my knowledge so I can improve my skills in a way to positively impact my performance.

Q: Who would like to thank for helping you get to where you are today?

A: I would love to give a special thank you to my coach Lisa Werwinski. I couldn’t be anywhere without her, she has such an effective way of teaching and building on the athletes’ strengths and improving their weaknesses. She has a very determined state of mind to build her athletes to be the best they can be. I would also like to thank my family and friends for being a huge support and a big push to keep going and persevere through any hardships. Most importantly to keep my head up.

Q: What have you been doing during the off-season to prepare yourself for your sophomore season?

A: In the off-season, I have been using every opportunity given to perfect and finalize the main building points in my skills to add on, and continue to progress my athleticism. I have also been competing in other places around the country to get a good perspective of other diverse styles of diving and of how I can use them to modify my abilities.

Q: What makes the West Clermont community so special in your eyes?

A: The West Clermont community has lifted me up in such unexpected ways! With such a large student body, my accomplishments as a diver could have easily gone unnoticed. The school photographers have captured some amazing pictures which have been posted on social media for all to see. The Wolf Walk was such a personal experience being able to come face-to-face with students in the whole school and allowing time out of the classroom for recognition of a sport that might otherwise go unnoticed. Most recently I was surprised to see my honor of being included as an All-American high school diver was posted to social media even while school was out! This organization has done so much for me and I am so appreciative of them. Thank you, West Clermont!