Former Ankeny standout Erica Peters is moving up the list of Northern Iowa’s all-time best divers.
During a dual meet against Illinois State on Friday at Cedar Falls, Peters placed second in the three-meter diving with a career-best score of 275.10 points. In the process, she moved into the top five on the school’s all-time list.
On Saturday, Peters added a runner-up finish in the one-meter competition, posting a score of 249.95. She helped the Panthers to a 208.5-144.5 dual win in their final home meet of the 2024-25 season.
“I have been very pleased with how my season is going,” said Peters, a junior. “We are just now finishing winter training, so it has been super exciting to get personal-best scores over the break. Last year, I was a half-point away from qualifying for Zones, so I was relieved to get the score I needed recently. I am looking forward to the end of our season.”
Peters was a four-time state placewinner during high school. After finishing 14th in each of her first two years, she placed sixth as both a junior and a senior in 2020-21 under Ankeny diving coach Mandy Parton.
Earlier this season, Peters placed second in the three-meter diving (253.05) and fifth in the one-meter diving (254.25) against Iowa. A year ago, she posted a career-best score of 264.45 in the one-meter event against Iowa State.
Peters is one of three former Ankeny athletes on the Northern Iowa squad. Sophomore Rachel Rolow and freshman Josie Parton are swimmers on the Panthers’ team.
Peters credited her teammates for playing a role in her success.
“Staying positive throughout practices and working hard each day has been important,” she said. “My teammates are all super supportive of each other, so it makes each practice fun. Also, I have taken advantage of celebrating improvements that may not directly result in higher scores–my coach always refers to them as non-scoring victories. A big key in competitions is being able to channel your nerves, so they don’t impact your diving.”
Peters has twice been named to the Missouri Valley Conference Honor Roll during her career.
“While it may seem silly, during longer meets I bring puzzle books or math problems to work on between dives to distract myself,” she said. “This has helped immensely in my performance at longer meets.”
Peters is coached by former UNI star Bethany Hovland, who is in her fifth season as the Panthers’ diving coach. Hovland still holds the one-meter and three-meter school records that Peters is chasing.
“It would be super cool to set a record in the future,” Peters said. “We don’t have a ton of meets left this season, but I think it will be a goal of mine next season if I don’t get either this season.”