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Bacon, Chen Bring in Big Ten Yearly Honors
3/23/2021 2:35:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving
MINNEAPOLIS - As was announced by the Big Ten Conference Tuesday afternoon, redshirt-senior Sarah Bacon and Minnesota head diving coach Wenbo Chen have been named B1G Women's Diver and Diving Coach of the Year, respectively.
The honor marks the second for Bacon after receiving the same distinction in 2019, and Minnesota's ninth since 2010 when two-time NCAA Champion and Olympian Kelci Bryant received the first of her illustrious career. Bryant's second came the following year, followed by fellow Gopher greats Maggie Keefer (2013, '14) and Yu Zhou (2015, '16, '17).
The pair also received the same honors from the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America Tuesday morning, being named the CSCAA Division I Women's Diver and Diving Coach of the Year.
Bacon more than deserved the honor after her iconic performance at the 2021 NCAA Championships where the Indianapolis, Ind. native swept both of the springboard diving events to claim her third and fourth career NCAA titles. She had previously won the one-meter in both 2018 and 2019.
Last weekend's performances from the eight-time All-American did more than just add to her trophy case, however. With four individual NCAA titles to her name, Bacon is now both the winningest woman in Minnesota school history in any sport, the next closest having only two. She's also only the third Minnesota student-athlete to ever record an NCAA three-peat performance in any sport after having won the past three titles in the one-meter. The last Minnesota athlete to do so was John Roethlisberger, who three-peated for the men's gymnastics team in the all-around from 1991-93.
Bacon was also named an All-American in both springboard events for her efforts at last week's 2021 NCAA Championships.
Chen is no stranger to this award himself, having garnered the honor eight times over his time in the Big Ten. His first came in 2004 in his time as a Purdue Boilermaker, and the last seven have now come during his tenure with the Maroon and Gold (2010, '13, '15, '16, '17, '19, '21). As the 2020-21 season marks his 12th at Minnesota, he's now won the prestigious award in an eye-turning 58 percent of his seasons coaching the Gophers.
Chen has now coached three different student-athletes to an exceptional eight national titles over his time with the Maroon and Gold, consisting of Bacon (2018, 19, 21, 21), Zhou (2015, '17) and Bryant (2010, '11). Those achievements equate to an astounding 36 percent of springboard NCAA titles claimed over the past 11 seasons. Chen's student-athletes have found an excess of success in the Big Ten as well, winning an unbelievable 16 of 24 (66%) possible Big Ten Championship springboard titles since Bryant swept the events in 2010.
The 2021 NCAA Championships marked the final time Bacon and Chen will team up donning the Maroon and Gold as Bacon is set to graduate this spring with her degree in Kinesiology. Securing a pair of NCAA titles along with conference and national honors, however, is one memorable way for their reign to end.
The honor marks the second for Bacon after receiving the same distinction in 2019, and Minnesota's ninth since 2010 when two-time NCAA Champion and Olympian Kelci Bryant received the first of her illustrious career. Bryant's second came the following year, followed by fellow Gopher greats Maggie Keefer (2013, '14) and Yu Zhou (2015, '16, '17).
The pair also received the same honors from the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America Tuesday morning, being named the CSCAA Division I Women's Diver and Diving Coach of the Year.
Bacon more than deserved the honor after her iconic performance at the 2021 NCAA Championships where the Indianapolis, Ind. native swept both of the springboard diving events to claim her third and fourth career NCAA titles. She had previously won the one-meter in both 2018 and 2019.
Last weekend's performances from the eight-time All-American did more than just add to her trophy case, however. With four individual NCAA titles to her name, Bacon is now both the winningest woman in Minnesota school history in any sport, the next closest having only two. She's also only the third Minnesota student-athlete to ever record an NCAA three-peat performance in any sport after having won the past three titles in the one-meter. The last Minnesota athlete to do so was John Roethlisberger, who three-peated for the men's gymnastics team in the all-around from 1991-93.
Bacon was also named an All-American in both springboard events for her efforts at last week's 2021 NCAA Championships.
Chen is no stranger to this award himself, having garnered the honor eight times over his time in the Big Ten. His first came in 2004 in his time as a Purdue Boilermaker, and the last seven have now come during his tenure with the Maroon and Gold (2010, '13, '15, '16, '17, '19, '21). As the 2020-21 season marks his 12th at Minnesota, he's now won the prestigious award in an eye-turning 58 percent of his seasons coaching the Gophers.
Chen has now coached three different student-athletes to an exceptional eight national titles over his time with the Maroon and Gold, consisting of Bacon (2018, 19, 21, 21), Zhou (2015, '17) and Bryant (2010, '11). Those achievements equate to an astounding 36 percent of springboard NCAA titles claimed over the past 11 seasons. Chen's student-athletes have found an excess of success in the Big Ten as well, winning an unbelievable 16 of 24 (66%) possible Big Ten Championship springboard titles since Bryant swept the events in 2010.
The 2021 NCAA Championships marked the final time Bacon and Chen will team up donning the Maroon and Gold as Bacon is set to graduate this spring with her degree in Kinesiology. Securing a pair of NCAA titles along with conference and national honors, however, is one memorable way for their reign to end.
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