Steven Rowell/ Contributing Writer
After two seasons, Panther diver Sabrina Beaupre is the most dominating swimmer in the Sun Belt Conference and it is not even close.
It was her mom who first introduced her to diving at the age of five in 1997, but it wasn’t until she joined a diving club in Canada in the province of Quebec — where she also called home — that her diving career started to take flight.
Her mom got her into CAMO, a diving club. Beaupre was on the club growing up, as well as through her high school, since Lester B. Pearson High School does not have a diving program. While with the club, she won a whopping 10 national titles.
During her time in Canada, she competed with the CAMO club in competitions across the nation and was even on the Canadian national team, gaining some international competition experience.
She went to four different Pan-American Games competitions, placing first in one of them, second in another, and third in the remaining two. In addition, she participated in the junior world’s competition in the 3-meter and 10-meter events.
“It was great, I got to travel, I was able to grow, and I got to compete against the world’s best,” Beaupre said.
After high school, Beaupre was recruited by FIU. She actually knew another FIU diver, Namiko Shibata. At the time of Beaupre’s recruitment, Shibata was a junior. She took Beaupre under her wing and it was Shibata who brought Beaupre to the attention of FIU.
At FIU, Beaupre’s first two seasons have been stellar.
In her freshman year, she broke the conference record in the 3-meter dive with a score of 304.80 which earned her the Sun Belt championship. She also set a school record in the 1-meter dive by scoring 295.72 points in a meet against University of North Florida. She also won the Diver of the Week award twice.
In her sophomore year, she was awarded Diver of the Week, a record of eight times and was also named Sun Belt Diver of the Year.
“She’s dominating the Sun Belt. There’s only a few that can give her a run. She really has separated herself. I feel like she is really starting to come into her own and ready to make an entrance onto the national scene,” Head Coach Randy Horner said.
Horner expects Beaupre to make the nationals this year. Beaupre also has the same expectations.
“I want to win those titles [Sun Belt Conference, Diver of the Year], and I’d like to make the NCAA championship,” said Beaupre.
As Beaupre goes into her third season, she will be working with new diving coach Rio Ramirez.
“We had our first day of practice so far. I’m sure he will be a very good coach. He was a talented athlete and I’m looking forward to diving with him this year. I like his work ethic, and he is going to push us in a good way, and I’m excited,” Beaupre said.
After college, Beaupre, hospitality and tourism major, plans on traveling and wants to live and work somewhere in Europe for a couple of years.
But before Beaupre worries about her life after college, she wants to win at the NCAA qualifiers and make it to the national championship.
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