Thursday, July 5, 2007

UNT names Summer Mitchell as diving coach

By Pegasus News wire

DENTON — North Texas head swimming & diving coach Joe Dykstra has announced the addition of former Big Ten and Big XII Champion Summer Mitchell as the Mean Green diving coach.

Mitchell, a two-time All-American at Michigan State and the University of Texas, comes to Denton with an impressive resume that includes years of club and high school coaching experience as well as extensive competition on the national and international levels.

Photo not provided by UNT, San Antonio Spurs

Other candidates for the Diving Coach included the Spurs' Manu Ginobili

“I am very excited about Summer joining our staff this fall,” Dykstra said. “She has been one of the best divers in the country over the past six years, and her knowledge of the sport is remarkable. Her energy, enthusiasm, and determination are infectious, and she is a great fit on our staff. She is going to be able to attract some top tier divers to North Texas and the divers already in our program should all make huge strides this year under her direction.”

Mitchell burst onto the diving scene at Michigan State in 2001, where she won the 1-meter dive at the Big Ten Championships and took fourth at the NCAA National Championships on the 3-meter. Her accolades earned her All-America honors as well as the Michigan State Female Athlete of the Year award.

After transferring to Texas, Mitchell quickly climbed to the top of the Big XII. She took first in the 3-meter and third in the 1-meter at the 2003 conference meet. A two-time Big XII Diver of the Month (Nov. 2002, Feb. 2003), Mitchell was named the conference’s Diver of the Year after finishing sixth at the NCAA Finals in the 1-meter dive.

Mitchell dove in her first international meet at the FINA Grand Prix Championships in May of 2003 representing USA Swimming, and went on to compete in numerous meets on the national team roster. She not only qualified for the 2004 World Cup Trials, but finished fourth in the America’s Cup Championships in the 3-meter dive.

On the coaching front, Mitchell led Harmony High School in 2006 and Trinity Prep High School in 2005, both in Orlando Fla. She was also a club coach with the Mission Viejo Nadadores Diving Club from 2003-04.

Mitchell is still diving competitively and is expected to participate at the USA Diving National Championships in early August.

Source: UNT

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