Diving
The Sun Devil diving team is perennially one of the best teams in the nation with divers in contention for a national title every season. Recent products like Youssef Selim and Mara Aiacoboae and past Sun Devils like Joona Puhakka, Micky Benedetti, Elina Eggers, Constantin Blaha, and Riley McCormick line the records books of Arizona State, both competitively and academically. Under head coach Mark Bradshaw alone, his divers have earned a total of 38 men's and 16 women's All-American honors and four NCAA titles. ASU also dominates the Pac-12 Conference, with nine Pac-12 Divers of the Year and six Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year awards.
The Latest
The Sun Devil diving program continues to meet the high marks it sets every season. Mara Aiacoboae won the Pac-12 championship in platform dive in 2017 and 2018, becoming the first ASU women’s diver since Elina Eggers in 2010 to win the platform event at the conference meet and only the fifth Sun Devil all-time to win a Pac-12/10 championship in the event. Youssef Selim reigned supreme at the Pac-12 Championships in 2019, taking home conference titles in successfully defending his 1-meter title while adding platform. With the wins, he became the first Pac-12 men's diver since 2015 to take home championships in two events in a single year.
McCormick – Riley McCormick finished his career at Arizona State as a five-time All-American, three-time Pac-12 Champion, two-time Pac-12 Diver of the Year and the 2014 NCAA runner-up on the 3-meter springboard.
Academics
Head coach Mark Bradshaw puts a large emphasis on success in classroom as well as in the pool. In Harrison Jones’ first semester at ASU, the diver recorded straight A’s and made the deans list, while junior Riley McCormick was voted Student Athlete of the Semester for Spring 2013.
Most notably, Sun Devil Elina Eggers set the bar very high for academic achievement. Eggers, a four-time All American and two-time Pac-12 Champion, was named a Capital One First Team Academic All-American from 2010-12, the highest academic distinction for a collegiate athlete. She was also named the 2012 Pac-12 Senior Scholar Athlete and graduated summa cum laude with a 3.96 GPA in economics.
Mark Bradshaw (Head Diving Coach):
- ASU head diving coach since 1997
- Nine-time Pac-12 Diving Coach of the Year - more than any other coach in the Pac-12 and ASU history
- Named NCAA Coach of the Year in 2003 and 2005
- Named to the Team USA coaching staff for the 2013 FINA World Championships
- Has coached nine divers to four NCAA individual titles and 54 All-American honors
- His divers have earned a total of nine Pac-12 Diver of the Year awards and six Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year awards
- Previously was head coach at Ohio University and U.S. Military Academy
- Finland’s head diving coach for the 2004 & 2008 Olympics
- While competing:
- Four-year NCAA All-American at Ohio State University
- 1983 NCAA Champion- 3-meter
- Three Big Ten Championships
- Represented the US at the 1988 Olympic Games
Student Athlete Development
Arizona State Athletics offers a plethora of opportunities for student-athletes to excel while at ASU and to prepare for career upon graduation. The Office of Student-Athlete Development has 11 full-time employees to assist student-athletes with academics, eligibility and life skills. ASU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is an organization that enhances the collegiate experience by providing educational, leadership and service opportunities that exemplify and exhibit the spirit and essence of the Sun Devil student-athlete. All activities encompass this vision and help to further maximize human potential in the pursuit of comprehensive excellence.
ASU has eight full time sports performance coaches that oversee all 26 programs for the Sun Devils. Working closely with diving and the sports performance coaches, the sports medicine staff ensures that all Sun Devil athletes are healthy. Graduate Assistant athletic trainers work with the diving team, along with the assistance of the full-time sport medicine staff and team doctors that are present at every home event.
Winning Tradition
Notable All-Americans Under Bradshaw
Four-time All-American
- Trisha Tumlinson: 2005 Platform; 2004 Platform; 2003 1-meter, Platform
- Elina Eggers: 2012 3-meter, Platform; 2011 Platform; 2010 Platform
Five-time All-American
- Constantin Blaha: 2012 1-meter; 2011 1-meter, 3-meter; 2010 Platform, 3-meter
- Riley McCormick: 2014 1-meter, 3-meter; 2011 1-meter, 3-meter; 2010 Platform
Eight-time All-American
- Micky Benedetti: 2009 3-meter, Platform; 2008 1-meter, 3-meter, Platform; 2007 1-meter, 3-meter, Platform
Nine-time All-American
- Joona Puhakka: 2006 1-meter, 3-meter; 2005 1-meter, 3-meter; 2004 1-meter, 3-meter, 2003 1-meter, 3-meter, Platform