If Pac-10 Championships, Zone E Championships and top-three finishes at the NCAA National Championships weren’t enough, the ASU dive team has added a few more accolades just for good measure.
ASU sophomore Riley McCormick was recently named Pac-10 Men’s Diver of the Year, while his coach, Mark Bradshaw, was named the conference’s Coach of the Year.
“Personally, it’s always an honor because it is voted on by coaches who I have a lot of respect for,” Bradshaw said. “I think it also speaks to the quality of the student-athletes that I coach. The award is a reflection on their performance. I’m just proud of the fact that it’s a reflection of the program we have established at ASU.”
Being named the Pac-10’s Coach of the Year once is certainly an accomplishment, but this the eighth time Bradshaw has received the award, more than any other coach in Pac-10 history.
The award may go to the coach, but Bradshaw credits the award and his success to the kids on his team.
“I think I’ve been very lucky to have really good kids,” Bradshaw said. “I’ve been very fortunate to have the ability to recruit the top kids in the country and the world into the program.”
McCormick is definitely one of the top athletes that Bradshaw was referring to as he was named the Pac-10’s Men’s Diver of the Year for the second straight year. Despite being just a sophomore, McCormick has made a name for himself in the Pac-10, as he has won the Men’s Diver of the Year Award twice and was also the Newcomer of the Year in 2010.
This award was well deserved after McCormick’s successful sophomore campaign. The 2008 Canadian Olympian won the platform title at the Pac-10 Championships, the one-meter and three-meter titles at the Zone E Championships and finished eighth in the country in the one-meter at the NCAA Championships.
“He had a great year,” Bradshaw said of McCormick. “He was the most consistent high-performer of all the male divers in the conference. It shows the competitive nature of Riley, and he is one of the top athletes in the country.”
Reach the reporter at william.boor@asu.edu
