Diving is exciting, and scary, says Maya Moncaster.

When the Mercer Island High School junior steps up to the board, challenges await and there has been a mental block to overcome when it’s time to nail an array of difficult backward and inward dives that involve flips and twists.

It took her about a year to conquer that mental block with backward dives, and now she finds it funny that those are her favorites.

Moncaster, a third-year diver for the Islanders, placed 11th as a finalist at the state championships last year and has attained more success this fall on the one-meter board during meets. She has been finishing second in meets behind freshman Island first-placer Clare Capasso.

After competing in gymnastics for 12 years, she left that sport behind before starting seventh grade and then jumped into the diving realm as a freshman.

“One of my friends who was going into her senior year had been diving. And she was like, ‘You should try diving just for fun.’ And then I did it and I really enjoyed it. Then I joined club right after the season ended,” said Moncaster, who has been diving year-round since January of 2022 and also competes for the Alpha Diving Club on the three-meter board.

The school team’s motto this year is “Do it scared,” which has the Islanders facing their fears and overcoming adversity.

“I can definitely apply that to things outside of diving; really, whatever it would be. Because even if I am scared, usually the outcome is worth it. And that hasn’t failed me yet,” she said, adding that those situations could range from preparing for a test to not knowing anyone while attending a club meeting and then becoming good friends with the other members.

Over the years, Moncaster has been thrilled and proud to see improvements in her dives and scores. She’s been working on copious upgrades this season and can’t wait to unleash them in the postseason.

The Reporter asked Moncaster a series of questions to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into her life:

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

My biggest pet peeve is probably people talking over me or, like, interrupting someone when they’re trying to say something.

What’s a binge-worthy TV series that you’re really into?

I recently just finished “Dawson’s Creek.” I love “Gilmore Girls.”

What provides inspiration for you?

My mom really inspires me. Just watching her work as hard as she does and then also being just such an amazing mother, it’s just such an inspiration. And watching her want me to succeed makes me just want to succeed more.

What type of music do you listen to? Do you listen to anything that kind of fires you up before meets or anything like that?

I have this playlist. It’s just called “2016,” and there’s songs that kind of remind me of 2016 a little bit. It’s, like, Rihanna and, like, old Katy Perry songs. (They) are just super hype. “Shut Up and Drive” by Rihanna. That’s like — just like the majority of Rihanna songs, I think — just always such a good, upbeat, hype song to listen to, blasting in the car full volume on the way to meets or on the way to practice.

What do you like to do in your spare time when you’re not diving or going to school?

I don’t have a lot of spare time right now. I’m a very social person, and I love hanging out with friends. And I like to be a very active person, even while I’m not diving. Like hiking with friends, going on walks with friends. I like to surround myself with my friends and people that I love. No matter what I’m doing, as long as I’m with friends. I usually find it really enjoyable, even if it’s running errands with my friends.

What’s a skill that you’d like to learn that you’ve been thinking about?

I really want to learn how to crochet. I’ve tried — I’ve been trying for a while. I try to make a square, and it ends up like a triangle, or I knot everything together. And then I just give up for a few months, and then I’ll see it sitting in front of my room: “Like, you know what? I’m going to try again.” And then it usually ends up with the same result. It’s something that I really want to learn. I think that’s going to be my goal for the end of the year is to learn how to crochet.