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2 0 1 2 - 1 3 S w i mm i n g a n d D i v i n g Me d i a Gu i d e
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Chunhua “Joy” Zhao is heading into her 10th season as the diving coach at Southern
Illinois.
In 2011, Brittany Weigel earned MVC Diver of the Year honors, marking the second
consecutive season Zhao coached the MVC Diver of the Year. Weigel is the third
diver to earn MVC Diver of the Year laurels under Zhao, and five SIU divers won
the honor in a six-year stretch under Zhao.
In 2010, Zhao coached Emily Gable to MVC Diver of the Year honors, earning MVC
Co-Diving Coach of the Year, as well as guiding Kyle Carevic and Justin Ruszkowski
to the NCAA Zone C Regional Meet in West Lafayette, Ind.
The former international diver came to SIU in 2003 with 20 years of experience as
a diving coach, ranging from the international to high school levels, in addition to
her personal experience as an international diver in China.
She wasted little time making a mark in her first year as the Saluki diving coach in
2003-04. Zhao was named 2004 MVC Invitational Diving Coach of the Year at her
first MVC Invitational Meet, after coaching Brandon Birchak to 1 and 3-meter titles
and an MVC Invitational Diver of the Year award.
The Salukis came away with three of the four diving titles at the 2006 MVC
Championship and Invitational. Cristina Curtuneanu won the women’s 1-meter
while Brandon Birchak swept the men’s 1-meter and 3-meter titles. For their
performance at the meet, Curtuneanu and Birchak both earned MVC Diver of the
Year honors.
The accomplishments did not stop there, though, as Birchak and Curtuneanu, along
with Jessica Leong, qualified for the NCAA Zone D Meet in Columbia, Mo.
Chris Gaffney
G r a d u a t e A s s i s t a n t
Second Year
Southern Illinois (2011)
Delran, N.J.
Chris Gaffney enters his first year as a graduate
assistant and second year on head coach Rick
Walker’s staff in 2012-13. Gaffney served as a
volunteer assistant coach in 2011-12. Gaffney
swam for head coach Rick Walker and the
Salukis from 2006-2010, swimming freestyle and breaststroke. Gaffney was a
captain for the Salukis in both his junior and senior seasons and was a short
course national qualifier in the 100 breaststroke.
Gaffney was the head coach in the Tri County Swim League in New Jersey
for five years and currently is the head coach for the Pomona Dolphins Swim
Team.
Gaffney is pursuing a master’s degree in sports studies. He is the son of Gary
and Margaret Gaffney and has one brother, Patrick.
Head coach Rick Walker and Pamela Benitez at the 2012 London Olympics.
Chunhua “Joy” Zhao
D i v i n g C o a c h
10th Year
Tian-Jin University (1989)
Tian-Jin, China
s
2010 MVC Co-Diving Coach of the Year
s
2007 MVC Diving Coach of the Year
s
2006 MVC Invitational Diving Coach of the Year
In 2007, Zhao coached Curtuneanu to the MVC 1-meter and 3-meter titles and
a conference Diver of the Year title. Zhao also garnered league honors as she was
named the Valley’s Diving Coach of the Year.
Zhao has also continued the tradition of a strong personality on the pool deck, and
carries a strong knowledge of the sport, and an attention to detail consistent in SIU’s
diving coaches.
She came to SIU from Fresno State University, where she was the women’s diving
coach from 1999-2003. At Fresno State, her divers qualified for the NCAA Zone
Meet and reached the Western Athletic Conference finals every year. During that
same time she also served as the head coach for the Fresno (Calif.) Diving Club.
From1997-99, Zhao was an assistant diving coach at the University of Nevada, where
she coached Lang Rao, who finished second at the 1999 NCAA championships. In
1999, she also was the head coach at the Carson Valley Diving Club.
Prior to coaching in the U.S., Zhao held three international coaching positions in her
native China. From 1993-97, she served her second stint as the men’s and women’s
diving coach for the Tian-Jin Province Diving Team. During her four years, she had
a women’s diver win the silver medal on the platform at the 17th World University
Games, a gold medal at the Youth Games of China and a bronze medal at the 1996
Chinese National Meet. She also coached Sang Xue to a silver medal at the 1998
Goodwill Games. Her work earned her the Excellence in Coaching Award in 1992
and 1993.
She also served as the diving coach for the Chinese National Team from 1989-93,
where one of her divers finished fourth in the women’s platform dive at the 25th
Olympic Games (1992), second in the platform at the 7th World Cup and second in
the platform at the 16th World University Games.
Zhao began her coaching career as the men’s and women’s diving coach for the
Tianjin Province Diving Team from 1983-89. During her time there, two of her
male and female divers qualified for the Chinese National Diving Team.
Prior to coaching, she competed internationally as a member of the Chinese
National Diving Team from 1977-79, following four years (1973-77) as a member
of the Tianjin Diving Team.
Zhao received her bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1989 from Tian-Jin
University in her hometown of Tianjin, China.
She lives in Carbondale with her husband, Mark Liu, and their sons, Matthew and
Charles.