Senior diver Samuel Randall has contributed tremendously to the Blue Wave over the course of his four years at Geneseo. Randall’s hard work as a collegiate diver will translate to the real world as he graduates this spring and searches for a career. (Courtesy of Samuel Randall)
Like all sports, diving requires a significant amount of self-discipline and hard work. In order to see success in the pool, athletes need to apply themselves both mentally and physically.
Senior diver Samuel Randall is representative of the ideal athlete on the Geneseo Blue Wave, as he embodies all of these qualities.
Randall is originally from Pittsford, New York, and considers Geneseo to be his second home. After four years of endless support from teammates and coaches, he’s grown comfortable here.
Randall began diving after his gymnastics career ended in his youth because his school did not offer a gymnastics program. He wanted to participate in a sport where he could utilize the same skills and movements as gymnastics. Randall’s athleticism and diving instantly clicked because he immediately saw the similarities between the two sports.
Randall has accomplished a great deal in his career at Geneseo. Notably, he was named SUNYAC Outstanding Male Diver of the Year in 2016 and won the 2016 NCAA National Championship in the 1-meter dive, placing third on the 3-meter dive, earning him the All-American title.
Randall’s experience with the coaching staff of the Blue Wave has been positive from the start. In fact, the coaching staff had a big influence on Randall’s decision to come to Geneseo.
“[Diving] coach [Shawn] Austin is an unbelievably passionate person about what he does,” Randall said. “Even though we [didn’t] have a pool to use this year, he has been very understanding of the long hours we put in … and he still makes the sport fun, which is really important.”
Ever since Randall completed a campus tour and set foot in the pool, he loved Geneseo and all it has to offer.
“Geneseo is the perfect mixture of having a good time with friends, having a structured life with sports and classes, while still having time to run off to Letchworth State Park and get some hikes in,” Randall said.
His favorite memory with the team was winning against Division I school Canisius College during his sophomore year. This was a big win for the team, as they had consistently lost to Canisius in the past. Randall loved watching the team’s excitement develop throughout the course of the meet.
With four years under his belt, Randall understands the responsibilities that come with being a member of the Blue Wave, as well as being a business administration major and marketing minor.
Since the beginning of this year, Randall has worked in Rochester at the industrial design company BZDesign, in addition to swimming with Blue Wave and finishing up his senior year.
With only a few short months until graduation, Randall has set some big goals for himself. After Geneseo, Randall plans to pursue a career in marketing. He is currently applying to marketing associate jobs in Chicago and New York City.
Randall’s endeavors at Geneseo will lead him to great things, as his experiences with the Blue Wave have helped strengthen his self-discipline and drive for success.