University of Houston
NCAA Championships
NCAA Championships: Cougars Wrap Up Competition with Heavy Hearts
3/19/2011 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
March 19, 2011
AUSTIN, Texas - University of Houston divers Lacey Truelove and Julia Lonnegren made the decision to dive on Saturday at the NCAA Championships after hearing the devastating news of head swimming coach Mark Taylor's death late Friday evening.
The duo, along with head diving coach Jane Figueiredo, pulled together to finish out the final day of the NCAA Championships one day after Taylor passed away in Austin.
Truelove, a two-time All-American in the platform, braved her emotions and posted a score of 246.40 in prelims to place 18th and qualify as one of two alternates for the consolation finals. Lonnegren also battled a tough emotional day, recording a score of 167.90 to place 24th in the preliminary round.
Figueiredo and her team concluded their season on Saturday with 18 individual event wins, including an NCAA Zone D 3-Meter Championship title for Truelove to automatically qualify her for this weekend's NCAA Championships. The senior All-American also won two Conference USA titles in February, while Figueiredo was named the C-USA Diving Coach of the Year for the 10th-consecutive season.
The Cougars will return to Houston to be with their teammates as they mourn the passing of Taylor and await pending funeral services. The beloved swim coach was in Austin supporting the diving team when tragedy struck following the second day of competition on Friday evening.
Players Mentioned
