New diver receives high 'Marks'
Campus Times
March 8, 2002
Junior Crystal Marks traveled to the Florida Keys in February to model
for the Abercrombie and Fitch summer 2002 catalog. Marks, a member of the
La Verne swim and dive team, did not qualify for the NCAA Division III Nationals
after sending the required videotape to the judges. Marks won both the 1
and 3 meter boards at SCIAC championships.
Many students seem to struggle with juggling school and extra curricular
activities. University of La Verne star athlete Crystal Marks has managed
to do it all by successfully balancing academics, sports, modeling and a
social life.
Marks, 20, is a junior transfer student, who grew up in Redding, California
and attended Shasta Community College for two years before transferring
to ULV last fall.
Marks discovered ULV when she filled out a track questionnaire and was
contacted by track coach, Pat Widolff. Marks said Widolff contacted her
frequently about coming to ULV. She met with him and diving coach Toby Reclusado
on a campus visit and decided that ULV was the best school for her since
it had both of her majors and would allow her to play two sports.
Marks recently competed in the diving conference championships that
took place Feb. 21-23 in Cerritos. On the first day of the championships,
Marks went into the three-meter competition ranked first, which she said
made her feel a little pressured. However, she won the competition and went
on to compete again the next day. She won again on Friday, this time by
only one tenth of a point.
"I felt like I got a gold medal," she said.
According to Marks, the conference championships were "a perfect
end to the season." The week before the championships, she also qualified
for Nationals.
At this point Marks said the highlight of the diving season was the
conference championships. She set a goal at the beginning of the season
to win conference and go to nationals.
"I'm in the process of meeting my goal," she said. For next
season, Marks wants to break her conference records and become an All-American.
"I want to do it and do it right," she said.
So far she enjoys the ULV diving program. She knew about the program
before she came here and also knew coach Reclusado. She had high hopes for
him as a coach and "he exceeded all my expectations."
Marks started diving her first year of college. Although she was a gymnast
for seven years growing up, she said she always wanted to try diving, but
did not have many opportunities.
Her chance finally came the summer before she started college when she
discovered a diving class at a junior college. "It's 115 degrees in
the summer. I want to be in the water," she joked. Marks became successful
in diving so quickly that it motivated her to keep competing.
Diving is not Marks' only activity. She is also on the track and field
team and competes in pole vault, javelin and short hurdles. This is her
seventh year competing in this sport.
According to her teammates, Marks is a great athlete and teammate.
"As a teammate you can see her determination and drive," said
swimmer Katie Aimone. She said Marks has a great attitude and is "always
ready to have fun."
Track and field teammate Brandon Tedrow said Marks is "always willing
to help people and encourage everyone."
In addition to athletics, Marks is also a double major in public administration
and economics. She said her ultimate goal is to work in the White House
or to be governor of California and studying public administration is a
good stepping-stone to get there. As far as economics, she feels it is important
to have vast knowledge of the subject.
Marks is also a model. She credits her modeling career to "being
in the right place at the right time." Marks got her first chance at
modeling during her time at junior college. She was dating a model and went
with him to a fitting for Miller's Outpost/Anchor Blue. Two female models
had cancelled and Marks was asked to fill their places. "It was unbelievable,"
she said.
Since then Marks has done several different modeling jobs. She went
to the British Virgin Islands and did a photo shoot for the March issue
of Outside Magazine. She was also in a Michael Bolton video as a
cowgirl and missed the first week of school to go to Florida for a photo
shoot for Abercrombie and Fitch.
Marks said that modeling is very humbling. She said it "should
be ego boosting" to be a model, but it can be just the opposite when
surrounded by 10-15 gorgeous women. Marks added that it can be hard when
agents want models to lose weight to look a certain way. For her, losing
weight means losing the strength she has worked hard to build for athletics.
As far as the actual shoots, "it's the easiest job," she said.
"Who wouldn't want to get paid for it?"
Marks does not have a preference among all of her various activities.
For her, they are all fun, and that is why she is at ULV, "so I don't
have to choose."
As far as her greatest accomplishment so far, Marks said it is the little
things. For instance, she made the Dean's List last semester and won SCIAC
Athlete of the Week for the week ending Feb. 24.
One might think that Marks might be completely stressed, however her
attitude is very positive. She feels that if she wakes up happy, she has
been successful. "Everyone has bad stuff in life. If they have no good
stuff, then they need to work harder," she said.
Marks encourages everyone to have a positive attitude stating, "Stick
to what you're good at and if you're not happy, change something."
