Alyssa Golden

Class: Junior Hometown: Portage, Mich. High School: Portage Northern

Event: Diving Experience: 2L

Top Scores
one-meter: 269.02 (11-19-11 vs UNO)
three-meter: 265.28 (vs. Iowa State, 2/8-9/13)
platform: 158.80 (at Hawaii, 1/18/13)

2012-13 (Junior)
Academic All-Big 12 First Team...Athletic Director's and Big 12 Commisioner's Honor Roll (Fall 2012)... Finished third in the one-meter diving competition, with a score of 249.08 in a dual meet against No. 15 Minnesota (10/20)... Finished with a season-best score of 158.80 in the platform event in a dual at Hawaii (1/18)... Posted season-best scores in the one-meter (260.32) and three-meter (265.28) diving competitions in a dual against Iowa State (2/8-9)... Finished 10^th in the one-meter event at the Big 12 Championships (2/27-3/2), with a score of 235.40... Closed out the season at the NCAA Zone Diving Championships (3/11-13), finishing 43rd in both the one-meter (209.95) and three-meter (204.85) events and 28th in the platform competition (158.85).

2011-12 (Sophomore)
Excels in all three dives... Began the year with a third-place finish in the three-meter dive in a dual meet against Minnesota (10/21), totaling a score of 239.63... Placed third in the one-meter dive in a double-dual with host Northern Iowa and North Dakota (10/22), totaling 228.85 points on the day... Placed third in the three-meter dive in a dual against Illinois (10/29) with 246.97 points... Finished second in a dual against Missouri (11/11), totaling 246.96 points... Reached her career-best score of 269.02 in the one-meter during a dual against Nebraska-Omaha (11/19), where she also posted a season-best 254.48 in the three-meter dive... Set a new career high in the platform dive at the Big 12 Championships (2/22-25), with a total of 145.95... Finished 35th (211.65) in the one-meter, 28th (128.75) on the platform and 38th (189.15) in the three-meter at the NCAA Zone Diving Championships (3/8-10).

2010-11 (Freshman)
Golden provided solid depth as a freshman for Kansas in the diving events... Finished second in three meter dive with 256.95 score in meet versus Iowa State... Finished third in one meter dive and posted season high 243.25 score at dual meet against South Dakota and Northern Iowa... Had successful meet against Nebraska where she compiled a 220.73 mark in one meter and a 239.85 score in three meter... Tallied another season best dive against Arkansas with a 257.02 score.

High School (Portage Northern)
Lettered four times in swimming and twice in water polo... Named captain of her swim team during her senior year, while placing second All-State in Michigan High School Diving State Meet... Placed All-State a total of three years and was a diving state qualifier all four years...Three-time Southwest Michigan Athletic Conference (SMAC) champion... Record holder at Portage Northern for both six dive (274.3)and 11-dive(488.6).

Personal
Born in Columbia, Mo.... Parents are Kelley and Kyle Blecha and Mike Golden... Majoring in Latin American Studies... Plans to attend PA school after graduation

Getting to Know Alyssa
Reason you chose KU: I had a great recruiting trip

Favorite swimming/diving memory at KU thus far: The Miami training trip

Favorite sport(s) to watch other than swimming: Football and Basketball

Songs on the top of my I-Pod playlist: Racks on Racks (Young Chris), Look at Me Now (Chris Brown)

Websites you visit the most often: Facebook, Twitter

Favorite TV show: Criminal Minds

Favorite Food: Macaroni & Cheese and Watermelon

Favorite Lawrence Restaurant: Pizza Shuttle and 23rd Street Brewery

Farthest you have ever traveled: Spain

Time your alarm clock is set for during the season: 6:00 a.m.

Teammate most likely to make me laugh is: Abi Anderson

Teammate most likely to motivate me is: Allison Lusk