Widely regarded as the finest diving coach in the nation, Dr. Jeff Huber is in his 18th year as the men's and women's diving coach at Indiana University and his 31st year of collegiate coaching. During his tenure, Indiana divers have flourished under the seven-time U.S. National Coach of the Year. In Huber, Indiana divers work daily with a mentor who served as a coach for the United States at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and 2000 Olympics in Sydney. He has been recognized as the Big Ten Coach of the Year on 11 occasions (five for women's and six for men's), has coached student-athletes to 34 Big Ten titles and 14 Big Ten Divers of the Year in his 18-year tenure at IU.

Todd Waikel is in his second season as the assistant diving coach at Indiana University. "I feel very fortunate to have Todd on our coaching staff," Huber said. "He and I share a common vision for the future of the IU program, and the goals we want to accomplish within the next 5-10 years. He brings 17 years of coaching experience and a familiarity with United States diving and diving within the state of Indiana. He is well-known and extremely well liked and respected by the coaching community and brings new ideas and a great deal of enthusiasm to our program." Prior to joining the Hoosiers, Waikel served as the head diving coach for Northern Indiana Diving in Fort Wayne, Ind., from 2001-05. In 2005, Waikel guided Daniel Freble to the U.S. Open, Andrew Krafft to the U.S./Canadian All-Star Meet and the Junior Open Winter Nationals' silver medal. He also served as a judge at both the men's and women's Big Ten Championships. In 2004, Waikel tutored Krafft to All-American honors on both the one- and three-meter, and he helped Freble to the U.S./Canadian All-State Meet Bronze Medal on the one-meter in 2003. Before working with Northern Indiana, Waikel worked with Fort Wayne Community Schools in 2000, and at Michiana College from 1999-2000. He also served at Central Ohio Diving/Columbus Creed from 1995-99. During that time period, Waikel coached Burkley Show to a Junior Open national title in 2000 after helping Show to All-America honors in 1998 and 1999. Meanwhile, another of Waikel's pupils, Adam Barker, snared All-America recognition in the same years, while John Donovan earned an All-America nod in 1997. On the administrative side of the sport, Waikel is a member of the U.S. Diving Committee for Continued Excellence sub committee, and is a senior representative for the Indiana Diving Association. He also is the Junior Olympic Chairperson for the IDA, and a voting delegate for U.S. Diving. Previously, Waikel operated as the vice president of the Ohio Diving League from 1995-99, and chaired the U.S. Diving Grassroots Committee from 1996-2002. Additionally, Waikel chaired the Junior Olympic Committee for the Ohio Diving Association from 1995-99. Internationally, Waikel served as the team leader for the 2005 U.S./Canada Challenge, the 1999 Alpine Diving Tour in 1999 and the 1997 Italian Diving Tour. He also hosted the Denmark National Team in 1999. Waikel also is certified by U.S. Diving to travel throughout the nation certifying coaches in safety policies and procedures. Additionally, Waikel teaches for U.S. Diving's Grassroots and Dive Safe. He also instructs the U.S. Diving Spotting Training courses. The Warsaw, Ind., native graduated in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in speech communication from Purdue University.

Mark Lenzi trained to be a high school wrestler in Fredericksburg, Virginia but was so inspired during his last year in high school when watching Greg Louganis win two gold medals in the 1984 Olympic games he switched to diving. This was a momentous decision for Mark. Even at this late age in his athletic career he became one of the world’s best divers.
Indiana University and Hall of Fame Diving Coach Hobie Billingsley was so thrilled by the potential of this young diver he offered him a scholarship just out of high school, with less than a year’s experience. Mark Lenzi proved Coach Billingsley to be right. Billingsley groomed Lenzi to winning two NCAA National Championships (1989, 1990) in the one-meter springboard, becoming NCAA Diver of the Year in both of those years. Mark also won 5 Big Ten Titles. By age 21, in 1989, he made his first U.S. National Team. The next year he graduated from Indiana with a General Studies degree. After graduation he continued diving and preparing for the 1992 Olympic games. Now coached by Hall of Fame Coach Dick Kimball, Lenzi was the 1991 and 1992 Phillips 66 Diver of the Year. At the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Lenzi won the gold medal on the three-meter springboard by a whopping 31 points, defeating China’s Tan Liangde and Russian Dmitri Sautin. He was named the World Springboard Diver of the Year and was an AAU Sullivan Award nominee and finalist.
Following the Barcelona Games, Lenzi retired from competition. In 1994, he earned a private pilot’s license from ComAir Aviation Academy. When he emerged in late 1995, he was determined to make it back into Olympic competition and strive for another Olympic medal. He competed in numerous international competitions in preparation for the Games. At the 1996 U.S. Olympic Diving Trials, despite an injured shoulder, he qualified second on the three-meter springboard while setting the world record in the process. At the Olympic competition in Atlanta, again with an injured shoulder, he won the bronze medal behind Xiong Ni and Yu Zhoucheng, both of China and all within 15 points of each other.
All totaled, Lenzi won 18 international competitions on one and three-meter boards. He was the first American to win a gold medal at the Pan American Games on the one-meter springboard. He also won two F.I.N.A. World Cups, several Alamo Cups, Australia Invitationals and various other competitions. During his career, Lenzi became the first diver to ever score over 700 points (762.35) on the three-meter springboard for 11 dives, surpassing Greg Louganis’s 1983 world record for the highest ever score. He became the first diver to score over 100 points on a single dive (reverse 3-1/2 tuck), which he accomplished twice. He is also the first American to complete a forward 4-1/2 somersault in competition. He has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Regis & Kathy Lee, Oprah, Montel Williams, Crook & Chase, The Jeep Superstars, and Bill Cosby’s You Bet Your Life.  Mark has continued his education and was licensed as a Radiological Technician in 2006. He was married to his gracious wife Dorothy in 2004.

 

FOR THE RECORD: 1992 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (3m springboard); 1996 OLYMPIC GAMES: bronze (3m springboard); 1991 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: silver (1m springboard); 1989, 1991 FINA WORLD CUP: gold (1m springboard-1989, 3m springboard-1991); 1991 PAN AMERICAN GAMES: gold (1m springboard); 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996 ALAMO INTERNATIONAL: 3 bronze, 2 silver (1m, 3m springboard); 1989-1996 INTERNATIONAL INVITATIONALS: 5 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze (1m, 3m springboard) (Alamo Challenge, Australia, New Zealand, Madrid, Rome); 8 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 4-1m springboard, 4-3m springboard.

 

Assistant Coach Cassandra Cardinell brings state, collegiate, international, and Olympic experience to the program. As a New York State champion, she earned All-America honors while in high school. She finished her career as the state record holder for 6- and 11-dives. She won the NCAA platform championship for I.U. in 2005, coming from behind to take the title. She also won the platform title at the 2005 Big Ten Championships with and impressive score and setting a Big Ten record. She is a many time All-American and Academic All-American. Cassandra has also participated in the elite USA Diving International Team Selection Camp in Indianapolis. It paid off as she earned spots at both the China Open and USA/FINA Grand Prix teams. She has also participated in the 2005 World University Games, taking silver in the 10-meter and fourth place in the 10-meter synchro. She is also a member of an elite group that can call themselves Olympians. Cassandra was a member of the U.S. Olympic Team in the synchro 10-meter platform event with Sara Hildebrand. The duo made the team by winning the event at the U.S. Olympic Trials. She is also highly intelligent as she graduated from Indiana University’s BA and Masters programs in Telecommunications. Cassandra continues to compete for the United States and is currently training for the 2008 Olympic Team.

Lindsay brings talent, enthusiasm, exuberance and knowledge to the program. A Bloomington native and freshman at Indiana University, in 2004 Lindsay placed fourth on the ten-meter platform at the NCAA Championships, was a runner-up for the title at the Big Ten Championship and was a finalist at the U. S. Olympic Trials. In 2005 she was selected as an elite diver for the United States and participated in the USA Diving International Team Selection Camp. She continued her successful journey by scoring in all three events at the NCAA Championships in 2006. She also placed sixth in the country at the U.S. National Championships that put her on the United States National team. She was not done yet! As a senior at Indiana University, she scored again in every event at the 2006 NCAA Championships while earning three more All-American titles. Along the way she earned the right to compete for a spot on the 2008 Olympic Team in Beijing, China.