QiongJie Huang, a recent graduate of the University of Hawai`i, has accepted a position as U.S. National Diving Team Auxiliary Coach at USA Diving's National Training Center in Indianapolis, Ind.

QiongJie (Ajie) Huang is one of the Rainbow Wahine's most decorated athletes. She was the 2005 NCAA Division I Champion in the 1-meter event. Huang earned a total of eight All American awards on the basis of her finishes at the Women's NCAA Championships. She was named Western Athletic Conference Diver of the Year twice and helped lead the Rainbow Wahine to their first-ever WAC Swimming and Diving Team Championship. The Hawai`i diving team was the top scoring diving team at the Women's NCAA Championships in 2006 and second highest in 2005.

Huang graduated this past December with a degree in Travel Industry Management. Huang worked during the summers with the UH Aqua Camp and assisted with the Sunshine Diving Program, a diving program for the local Honolulu community run by UH assistant coach Anita Rossing. Huang's duties in Indianapolis will include assisting with the U.S. National Diving Team's training, and heading a developmental program for young American divers.

Huang was born in Wen Zhou in the Zhe Jiang Province of China and came to the UH in 2004, having been recruited by former UH swimmng coaches Jialin Sun and Mike Anderson. Huang competed for the Rainbow Wahine for three years.

"Her development as a world-class diver through various diving programs in China along with her exposure to many aspects of American diving will form a strong basis for her duties in Indianapolis," said UH diving coach Mike Brown. "With the support and guidance of U.S. National Team coaches Wenbo Chen and John Wingfield, this should be a great opportunity for Ajie to develop and grow as a young coach.

"Ajie has always been very determined to succeed and worked very hard to graduate from UH in five years as a TIM major. Her NCAA diving title was a special achievement as she defeated two-time World Champion Bylthe Hartley of USC. If you measure the size of your accomplishments by the stature of your opponent, then when Ajie beat Blythe Hartley at her home pool and then at the NCAA's in 2005, it was HUGE. Ajie carries a lot of her personal qualities into her coaching - a straight forward honesty and intensity along with a kind heart. She will be a success in coaching or in business - whatever she chooses she will do well.

"The University of Hawai`i and our community have been blessed by the presence of Ajie Huang. She has elevated the UH Diving Program and set a basis for its future success. Knowing how much Ajie loves Hawai`i and the University, I hope that one day she will be able to return to pursue her coaching dreams here."

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