April 5, 2002

USC freshman Blythe Hartley has been named Pacific-10 Conference Diver and Newcomer of the Year, while her coach at Troy, Hongping Li , has been named Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season, Commissioner Tom Hansen announced on Friday (April 5).

Hartley, a freshman from North Vancouver, BC, became the first NCAA women's diver ever to win NCAA titles in both the 1-meter springboard and the platform in the same season. She was also third in the 3-meter. Earlier in the season, she won the 1-meter event at the Pac-10 Championships.

Hartley is the third Trojan in the last five years to earn Pac-10 Women's Diver of the Year. Current senior Kellie Brennan won the award last year as a junior while Dorte Lindner won it in 1998.

Li, in his third year at USC, helped lead the Trojans to three Pac-10 individual titles and five top-eight finishes. The USC swimming and diving team took second overall at the Pac-10s and fourth at the NCAA Championships.

The Conference awards are voted on by the coaches.

PAC-10 WOMEN'S DIVERS AND COACHES OF THE YEAR

Diver of the Year Coach of the Year Newcomer of the Year

1994 Kristen Walls, UCLA Ward O'Connell, ASU

1995 Eileen Richetelli, STAN Rick Schavone, STAN

1996 Megan Gardner, STAN Tom Scotty, UCLA

1997 Megan Gardner, STAN Rick Schavone, STAN

1998 Dorte Lindner, USC Jeff Shaffer, USC

1999 Lindsay Berryman, ARIZ Rick Schavone, STAN --- Kim Powers, STAN

2000 Erin Sones, STAN Rick Schavone, STAN McKenze Murphy, STAN

2001 Kellie Brennan, USC Hongping Li, USC Nicci Fusaro, USC

2002 Blythe Hartley, USC Hongping Li, USC Blythe Hartley, USC