For a diver, the goal is not to make a big splash upon impact. But for freshman Tara Stevens, this was nearly impossible.

"She certainly made an impact on the (women's swimming and diving) team," Diving Coach Craig Brown said. "I knew Tara was a good meet diver, (but) some of her technique was different from the way I coach, like her arm swings and head alignment."

Stevens has admittedly been having troubles adjusting.

"At first, I had a really hard time," she said. "It was very different, and there were a lot of changes. It takes a lot of time to learn something new, but I know it's all for the better. But I think I had a pretty good season for (a freshman)."

Stevens has been diving since the fifth grade. She began serious training three years later. She placed 11th at the Junior Nationals in her junior year in high school and performed even better in her senior season, although she didn't place as well at the Junior Nationals.

The Doylestown native decided to attend Penn State for several reasons.

"I liked the coach a lot," she said. "We got along really well. And (the school) was close to home and I liked the campus. And I knew I would fit in well."

Indeed she has fit in. In her first collegiate meet, Stevens finished first on the 1-meter dive, beating divers from Northwestern University, which finished third in the Big Ten last year.

Stevens has performed consistently, with several wins in both the 1- and 3-meter dive.

Against Michigan, the top-ranked team in the Big Ten, Stevens was the only Penn State diver to place in the top four, finishing fourth in the 1-meter and second on the 3-meter.

"We've been making changes to try to make her dives a little simpler," Brown said. "She has a lot of extra motion. We've been taking out the excessive stuff.

"She was a little reluctant (to change) at first, (but) she's been real good about it. It's tough to come in and be told things differently than you were taught. But she accepted it slowly and prudently and she has responded."

Brown compared Stevens' freshman year to those of Amy Schmidt and former All-American Lara vonSeelan.

"Tara was very inconsistent coming in," he said. "But having a more extensive backround (than other divers), she's in a much better position to do well.

"Lara also had the competitive spirit early on. She ended up an extremely consistent diver. Amy has done the same thing. (But) Tara is really the best freshman I've seen since I've been here. I don't have to teach her as much."

Stevens agreed that Brown and the more experienced divers have helped her.

"Brownie (Coach Brown) is teaching me things I never knew about," she said. "(And) if he misses a dive, one of the other divers will catch it. There's always someone there to help you through."

Brown said with hard work, he can see a bright future for Stevens.

"The question with Tara is physically getting into the right shape," he said. "She's got to trim down a little -- get leaner and meaner.

"Tara's definitely an NCAA finals diver. She should be a Top-16 diver, and she should be able to compete in the Top Eight."

In regards to the future, Stevens said, "I want to be the best I can and see how far that can take me. And I want to keep getting better and better."