Pakhalina Named C-USA Diver of the Year
4/17/2003 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
April 17, 2003
HOUSTON - In what was surely one of the easiest decisions by Conference USA diving coaches this season, University of Houston senior Yulia Pakhalina was recognized Wednesday as the league's Diver of the Year.
The Penza, Russia, native captured both the 1-meter and 3-meter NCAA individual national championships for the fourth and fifth national crowns of her outstanding career. She finished as the 12th-leading individual scorer at the 2003 NCAA Championships and extended her winning streak on the 3-meter board to an amazing 31 consecutive events.
With three consecutive 3-meter crowns, she became only the second diver in NCAA history to accomplish that feat.
She also won the 1-meter and 3-meter championships at the C-USA meet for the second consecutive year. A six-time C-USA Diver of the Week honoree, she finished her collegiate career by winning 11 weekly accolades.
Pakhalina was only part of an award-winning diving program at UH. Head diving coach Jane Figueiredo was honored as the NCAA Diving Coach of the Year in 2003 and was named the C-USA Diving Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Redshirt freshman Azul Almazan was named the league's Freshman Diver of the Year, the second straight year that a young Cougar received that honor.
East Carolina's Diane Parker was named the C-USA Swimmer of the Year on Wednesday.
Additional individual awards were previously announced as the C-USA Championships in late February. Cincinnati's Ann Degenstein was named C-USA Freshman Swimmer of the Year, while East Carolina's Rick Kobe claimed his first C-USA Women's Swimming Coach of the Year honor.