Broad Ripple High School senior Brittney Feldman won the I.H.S.A.A. State Meet diving competition in February for the second time in three years. She was the only person from BRHS that qualified to be in the meet, and scored 482.25 - nearly 50 points ahead of the second-place finisher. What makes this even more outstanding is that Broad Ripple High School doesn't have a pool. Brittney gets to school between 5 and 6 A.M. to do homework and individual study. Each week, Monday through Thursday, she leaves school one period early and practices at the IU Natatorium from 2 to 7 P.M. On Fridays and Saturdays she has three more hours of practice - Sunday is her only day off. Brittney's diving categories are three-meter springboard and three-meter syncho.

At the conclusion of the state meet, the IHSAA Executive Committee presents the Mental Attitude Award to the outstanding senior participant in the swimming and diving state tournament. The recipient of this award, who was nominated by her principal and coach, must excel in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership, and athletic ability in swimming and diving. IHSAA corporate partner Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance presented a $1,000 scholarship to BRHS in the name of Brittney. "They haven't given [the Mental Attitude] award to a diver in . . ." BRHS coach Sandy Fenstermaker paused, "I don't even know when! They don't consider divers in the same category as swimmers, so they don't give it to them. It is a big deal for Brittney to get it this year. Brittney's many extra-curricular volunteering efforts may have helped the judges pick her."

Brittney was recently invited to participate in the Fina invitational Speedo USA Diving Grand Prix at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex. The Fina event is for world and olympic champions of all ages. The Grand Prix consists of eight events that result in world rankings for the participating divers. Brittney was invited to the seventh event of Grand Prix as part of a syncro diving team with IU sophomore Christina Loukas. The top two teams from the U.S. Open are taken into a diving camp where the Grand Prix team is selected. Brittney won a silver medal at the U.S. Open that was held at the IU Natatorium, located on the campus of IUPUI.

Brittney is graduating fourth in her class from BRHS, and will be attending Indiana University this fall. She will join the IU diving team, was accepted into the IU Honors College, and will be studying medicine.

She was a national champion in both the one-meter and three-meter events in 2005, and earned a bronze medal at the 2005 Pan American Games. Brittney has been a member of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Youth Orchestra and has volunteered with the Indianapolis Humane Society, the Muscatatuck Wildlife Refuge, and the Warren Tree Fest Winter Program.

As a tie-in to the story above, she appeared briefly (airborne and upside down) in the Ripples Act Norwaldo!