Dos Rios Divers
Mike Brown - Head Coach
Hannah Prigge
Interested in learning more about Dos Rios Divers?
My name is Mike Brown and I have been the head coach for Dos Rios Divers since the club was formed in 1992. I am a retired special education teacher/physical therapist. I now devote my time to coaching diving. In addition to coaching the club I coach a number of local high school dive teams and teach diving classes for two Parks and Recreation Departments.
I began diving when I was eight years old and taught myself to dive. I would see other kids doing dives, ask them how to do them and then give them a try. I did not receive any formal coaching until I was 18 years old.
The result of being self-taught is that you teach yourself a lot of bad habits. When I began coaching I realized that I needed to educate myself so I began reading books and watching every video that I could find about diving. I have added to my library of diving material over the years and continue to review that material and attend coaching clinics whenever I can.
In September of 2006 I traveled with four of the club divers as part of a US team to compete in China. While we were there I had the opportunity along with the other US coaches and divers to attend two clinics. The first was held in Shanghai at the Regional Training Center where we competed. The second was held in Beijing at the Chinese National Training Center.
The most important thing that I can do as a diving coach is to teach the divers proper technique so that they can be as safe as possible. I believe that using a trampoline or dry diving board with a spotting rig is the best way to do that. The diver wears a belt with ropes attached that go through overhead pulleys. I have complete control of the diver as they do the dive. Learning in a spotting belt is also more efficient than teaching the divers on a diving board at a pool. In a half hour session in the belt the diver can do a dive 30-40 times.
I love the sport of diving and it gives me great pleasure to share my love of the sport with the divers. Diving is a beautiful, exiting sport. You should try it!
Hannah, like so many divers, was a level 10 gymnast before switching to diving. She was a four year varsity diver at Whitney HS and also dove for four years with Dos Rios Divers.
During the summer of 2009 Hannah qualified for USA Diving's National Championships in Moultrie, GA. She qualified for finals on platform and finished in 12th place.
The following fall she went on five recruiting trips across the country and finally accepted a scholarship at Fresno State where she is still a record holder. During her time at Fresno State she qualified for NCAA Division I Zones all four years and National Championships her junior and senior years. She was named as an Honorable Mention All American during junior year and as an All American her senior year.
Her performance on platform during senior year also qualified her for the 2016 Olympic Trials.
Kari Elliott
Sami McIntyre
McKenna Long
Hi! My name is Sami McIntyre and I started diving for Mike at the age of 9. Before diving, I was a gymnast who quickly became burnt out by the tough coaches and long practices. After telling my mom I wanted to quit, she found a diving club called Dos Rios Divers at American River College. I will never forget my first day of diving. I came to practice in a leotard and a very nervous look on my face. Mike greeted us immediately with his kind voice and genuine love for the sport, and instantly I felt safe. Years later, I dove Varsity for 4 years at Bella Vista High School and held the school record for a few years. Afterwards, with the help and support of Mike and my parents, I received a scholarship to dive at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo--my dream school. There, I currently hold the record for the girls 1meter and 3meter boards. After 14 years of diving it was time to put the shammy away, but my love for the sport continues. Now, aside from teaching physical education at a K-5 elementary school in Orangevale, I enjoy coaching with Mike and occasionally getting in the water for some flips and twists. I would recommend diving to anyone who loves a challenging, fun, and very unique sport.
McKenna started diving as a freshman at Granite Bay High School and Dos Rios Divers. She competed at the varsity level for four years before heading off to Cal Poly to study architecture. While walking on campus one day, she heard the familiar sound of a bouncing diving board, and went exploring to find it. She found the board and the coach, introduced herself, and had a blast competing for the Cal Poly Mustangs. Since graduation, she has been diving masters, and won first place in her age group on platform at the Masters World Championships in Riccione, Italy. McKenna has been an assistant coach for Dos Rios Divers, as well as numerous local high schools. She enjoys introducing kids and adults to the amazing sport. Her favorite part of coaching is watching a diver’s face light up as they accomplish something they never thought was possible.
My name is Kari Elliott, I started diving at 13 years old after my older brother tried diving, loved it, and convinced me to do it too. In high school I was a 3x state champion and really grew to love to the sport. After going through the recruiting process I decided to go to the University of Wisconsin to start my collegiate diving career. After one year at Wisconsin, I decided that the University of Wyoming was a better fit for me. Throughout college I qualified for NCAA Division 1 zones all 4 years and made the National Championships my senior year. At the National Championships I was named an Honorable Mention All-American. My two favorite things about diving are when you overcome your fear, and just being with your teammates!
