(ABC 6 News) — For Reese Norton, when your score comes down to fractions of a point there is a lot to keep in mind.

“Diving is definitely just as mental as it is physical,” Norton noted.

The Austin Packers senior knows it all too well, competing in both gymnastics and diving.

“(It’s) kind of hard to differentiate sometimes but when you do it can be helpful,” Norton continued. “I have actually had some great help from my front twist in gymnastics because of diving, so it’s kind of like switching between mentalities of which sport I’m at.”

One part of the mentality that stays the same is the drive to improve, even nailing down a new dive.

“‘I want to do a front two and a half pike,’ and she had been doing that tuck before.” diving coach Annaliesa Anderson recounted. “I said, ‘Alright, we can work on this, we can train it,’ and she got it. We competed it at sections and she won, she killed that dive at sections.”

Even with a busy schedule of extracurriculars, Reese didn’t slow down a bit. Being a three-time All-Big 9 Conference selection and State qualifier is proof of her efforts. Not to mention Norton also has a National Honor Society membership.

“‘I won’t be able to make morning practice,'” Anderson said of one conversation with Norton. “I was like, ‘How early can you get here and when do you need to leave?’ She was like, ‘I have to leave at 6:30.’

“I asked, ‘Can you get here at 5:30?’ And she said, ‘Sure.’ I don’t know many high schoolers that will get out of bed before 5 AM and come to practice so having that drive is huge.”

It is part of what helped her take a Top-10 finish in state after her section title win. On the mat or in the pool, Reese is ready to go the distance again this year.

“Last year there was three of us on the podium at State from Section 1A,” Norton said. “So it’s just kinda like there are a lot of other good girls in my section so it’s kind of a little nerve-wracking but I mean I know I can maybe do it, I’m excited.”