Just seven years into her diving career, UNC Bears sophomore Violet Noel is already a record holder.
Noel, most recently from Montrose and Montrose High School, set a 10-year-old University of Northern Colorado record on the 3-meter springboard last month. She earned 332.33 points in dual meet against Washington State to top Savanna Meadows’ total of 317.25 in 2015.
The 19-year-old has been training and competing on the 3-meter for less than a year with Bears diving coach Jacob Butler. The springboard is just that — springy and flexible, sitting 9.8 feet above the water.
Northern Colorado Bears diver Violet Noel, center, a sophomore from Montrose, Colorado, laughs with her teammates Addi Campbell, left and Meredith Clabaugh, right, during a UNC dive and swim practice on the campus of the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (Brice Tucker/Staff Photographer)Born in Michigan and attending schools in Minot, North Dakota and Montrose, Noel didn’t start diving until the summer before eighth grade. Months later, she was on the high school team in Minot. She was discovered by a public pool lifeguard and fellow diver, who was impressed by Noel’s flips and acrobatics.
Noel was messing around, or so she thought. Noel took an interest in diving through gymnastics, not swimming. She said she can’t swim and she wasn’t a good gymnast.
Noel’s family moved to Montrose before her freshman year of high school. Noel was fourth at the Class 4A state meet as a senior in 2024, and included on the second all-state team. Windsor’s Reagan Annable, then a sophomore for the Wizards, was one of the first-team selections.
Noel competes in three diving events: the 1-and 3-meter springboards and platform. The 3-meter is her favorite. The platform or tower, which is 10 meters (about 33 feet) above the water — not so much.
“I wouldn’t say I’m scared of heights, but I am scared of flipping from heights,” Noel said. “And especially with platform, you have to be careful of how you go in the water, because the higher you go up, the more dangerous it is if you don’t enter the water right.”
Northern Colorado Bears diver Violet Noel, a sophomore from Montrose, Colorado, prepares for a dive during a UNC dive and swim practice on the campus of the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (Brice Tucker/Staff Photographer)UNC doesn’t have a platform board. The Bears use the platform at the U.S. Air Force Academy, and will train there over the next three weekends to prepare for their conference championships.
Noel planned to dive Friday in an exhibition against Utah Tech. The UNC swimmers face Utah Tech in the final dual meet at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Butler-Hancock Pool.
Noel and Butler talked about Noel’s record, why she likes diving, managing fear and having something wrong with her brain. Their answers were edited for length.
Northern Colorado Bears diver Violet Noel, right, a sophomore from Montrose, Colorado, practices her diving form while she waits for her turn to dive during a UNC dive and swim practice on the campus of the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (Brice Tucker/Staff Photographer)What did the 3-meter springboard record mean to you?
Noel: “It meant a ton. From eighth grade through high school, I was only on 1-meter and coming here is the first time I’ve trained on 3-meter. I’m not as experienced (on the 3-meter board). It was kind of my goal after learning that I could do the 3-meter and that I was good at it. To get it (the record) this early just means the world, because to me, that means that I still have room to improve.”
What do you like about diving?
Noel: “I like how it looks when you do well. It’s really fun to watch, and it’s fun to do. There’s not a ton of sports where you can just kind of fling yourself around, and that’s the sport itself. I like being able to impress people, I guess. I feel like in a lot of sports, it’s you’re really strong or you’re really fast, and that’s impressive too. Not a lot of people can do the tricks we can do. It’s just fun to kind of impress people with what I can do.”
Northern Colorado Bears diver Violet Noel, a sophomore from Montrose, Colorado, moves through the air as she dives during a UNC dive and swim practice on the campus of the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (Brice Tucker/Staff Photographer)Are you afraid of diving?
Noel: “Yes, yes. 100%.”
Butler: “It is a fear-management sport. That’s what it is. You have to overcome a lot of basic human fears for it. Claustrophobia is a big one (being confined by the water). Fear of drowning is one. Jumping from any kind of significant height, landing on your head. Working blindly. (On certain dives, the diver doesn’t know where they are in the air and can’t see where they’re going).
“Those are some of the very basic human fears that you have to either accept that you’re afraid of or just kind of have a screw loose or two to get over. And mostly it’s the screw loose.”
Noel: “It’s really hard to dive if you don’t have something wrong with your brain.”
Northern Colorado Bears diver Violet Noel, a sophomore from Montrose, Colorado, smiles while talking to her coach about her last dive during a UNC dive and swim practice on the campus of the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (Brice Tucker/Staff Photographer)Hence then, the article about montrose s violet noel sets decade old diving record for unc bears was published today ( ) and is available on GreeleyTribune ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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