By Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Helping to build up a diving program isn’t exactly new to Andrea Adam.

Adam was integral in helping to rebuild a proud tradition of strong divers at City High with top-10 state finishes each of the past two seasons.

Beginning this fall Adam will be part of building a brand new diving tradition.

Adam became a member of the first recruiting class in St. Ambrose history when she signed her letter of intent to continue her diving career with the Bees on Wednesday.

St. Ambrose announced the addition of men’s and women’s swimming and diving as a varsity sports last August and Adam will be a member of the inaugural season that during the 2017-2018 school year.

“I think it’s really cool,” Adam said of starting a new program. “People have talked about how we are starting the legacy of St. Ambrose swimming and just hearing that kind of gives me the chills I think it will be really fun.”

A student at Regina who competed on the City High swimming and diving team, Adam concluded an amazing two-year prep diving career with a state runner-up finish last fall.

Adam posted career-best scores in the final three meets of her prep career, raising her scored by a total of 57 points in the process.

That stretch ended with a 468.6 at the state meet last November to finish runner-up to two-time state champion Claire Park of Pleasant Valley.

“I’m excited,” Adam said. “I definitely wanted an opportunity to continue diving and I couldn’t be happier with my decision.”

A former gymnast, diving came natural to Adam who quickly proved herself as one of the top prep divers in Iowa.

During her two-year run at City High she caught the eye of all the coaches she worked with.

That list included City High diving coach Samantha Wagner as well as West High swimming coach Rob Miecznikowski.

Miecznikowski was hired last fall to run build the St. Ambrose programs from scratch and his relationship with Adam helped convince her to climb aboard with building the program.

“We would practice with West so I actually saw him three times a week so he actually coached me some, if Sam couldn’t be there he would step in,” Adam said. “I love talking to him it’s so natural, he’s so nice, he’s an awesome person.”