Joining the Miami University swimming and diving program in August 2007 as head diving coach, KongRong Li (KR Li) wrapped up his 13th season guiding the RedHawk men's and women's divers in 2019-20. Li took the reins of an already strong program and has guided his divers to unprecedented success in recent years with a women's diver competing in the NCAA Championships four of the last six seasons.
At the 2020 MAC Championships, the men finished second while the women finished fourth. Karsten Dixon was named men's MAC Freshman Diver of the Year after finishing eighth in the 3-mtr dive and ninth in the 1-mtr dive at the MAC Championships. Sam Wiedemann was named All-MAC Second Team as he finished third both events. On the women's side, Maddie Folta qualified for the consolation finals of both the 1-mtr dive and the 3-mtr dive
Li was named MAC Diving Coach of the Year in 2019 following the men's MAC Championship win. This is the third time Li has been named MAC Diving Coach of the Year and the first since the 2010-11 season. Li guided a sweep of the 1-mtr and 3-mtr dives at the MAC Championships with RedHawk divers finishing first, second and fifth in both events.
During his Miami tenure, Li has produced a MAC Diver of the Year in all but three of his 13 campaigns, including his first five seasons at the helm of the diving program. He has guided five divers to a combined 10 MAC Diver of the Year Awards and 17 MAC Championships in 1- and 3-meter events.
Under Li's guidance, women's diver Pei Lin earned seven All-America awards--including four first-team honors--in her career with the RedHawks. Lin swept both the 1- and 3-meter events at both the Mid-American Conference Championships in 2015, 2016 and 2017 while finishing first and second in the 3-meter and 1-meter dives in 2018, respectively. She was named MAC Diver of the Year each season and was named Most Outstanding Senior Swimmer/Diver following the conclusion of her MAC career. At the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships, Lin won the 3-meter dive every year and won the 1-meter dive in 2015 and 2016. She finished second and fourth in the 1-meter in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
In her first campaign with the Red and White, Lin finished 10th in the 1-meter dive at the NCAA Championships but came back with an impressive runner-up finish in the 3-meter event where she was edged by a slim 0.55-point margin, the best finish by a women's swimmer or diver in program history. She upped her game in 2016, finishing third in the 1-meter event and again finishing second in the 3-meter dive to capture First-Team All-America accolades in both events. In 2017, Lin finished second in the 3-meter dive and seventh in the 1-meter dive, once again earning All-American honors in both events. Lin capped off her career with a fifth-place finish in the 3-meter and a 21
st place finish in the 1-meter dives in 2018.
Li also served as Team Leader for Team USA at the 2018 FINA Diving World Cup.
As Li took over the RedHawk diving program, men's diver Chris Heaton was wrapping up an illustrious career and making Mid-American Conference history. Li mentored Heaton for two seasons (2007-08, 2008-09) as he concluded a career where he was undefeated at the MAC Championships in the diving events and earned four consecutive MAC Diver of the Year awards, both unprecedented feats in conference history.
After Heaton, Jimmy Beres continued to carry the torch, winning MAC Diver of the Year in 2010 and 2011 while sweeping the 1-meter event both seasons at the MAC Championships and winning a MAC title in the 3-meter dive in 2011.
Li was named the MAC Men's Diving Coach of the Year in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
In 2012, Li mentored his first MAC Diver of the Year on the women's side as Nikki Craft captured the award, winning the 3-meter dive. After a two-year absence from producing a conference championship winner, Lin returned Miami to the top of the podium in 2015 and 2016. With her NCAA Championship finishes in 2016 that accrued 33 points, Lin single-handedly gave Miami a 24th-place team finish at the 2016 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships.
In addition to his success with the diving program, Li has also helped the women's swimming and diving team to MAC Championships in 2009 and 2013.
Beyond his work at Miami, Li also served as USA Diving Junior Head Coach Consultant in 2013-14 where he assisted USA Diving junior club coaches with training plans, tactics and programs.
Li has more than three decades of national, international and collegiate coaching experience, beginning his coaching career in 1980. Before Miami, he spent the previous seven seasons as the co-head diving coach at U.S. Elite Diving Academy in Columbus.
Joining the U.S. Diving Elite Academy in 2001, Li served as the co-head diving coach for six seasons and helped more than 20 divers move on to the collegiate ranks. From 2004-07, Li coached numerous athletes who went on to dive at Division I institutions in the Big Ten, Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference. Notable athletes that Li mentored included six-time U.S. Junior National Champion Burkley Showe (Ohio State), six-time junior national qualifier Corey Gerlach (Auburn), six-time U.S. Junior National Champion Chelsea Davis (Northwestern) and four-time Ohio state finalist Jackie Apple (Virginia). All told, Li's athletes earned 13 NCAA athletic scholarships from 2005-06.
From 2002-07, Li mentored eight high school state champions, including the 2006 men's state champions in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. Li also achieved success at the national and junior national levels, guiding the junior team to five-straight top-three finishes (2002-06) and helping the national team to three-consecutive top-three showings, including a first-place finish in 2006. Additionally, Li served as the head coach of the junior world championship team in 2004.
Before working at U.S. Diving Elite, Li spent seven years (1995-2001) at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), which is Australia's elite diving program. While at AIS, Li earned a Level 3 accreditation from the National Coaching Accreditation Scheme (NCAS), which is awarded to coaches with the ability to coach athletes at the international level, and worked with 2004 Olympic gold medalist Chantelle Newbery, 2004 Olympic silver medalist Matthew Helm and 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Robert Newbery. Li helped develop the training program that aided Australia in lifting its international standing to No. 2 in the world after the 2004 Olympic Games. Li additionally worked with Diving Australia to conduct a Talent Identification Program and participated in Australia's national camps, which were held annually for the national and developmental squad athletes.
Li began his coaching career with the Nanning Diving Team in Guangxi, China where he served as an assistant coach from 1980-85, before assuming head coaching duties from 1985-95.
Li earned his master's degree from Beijing Sport University in China in 1992 where he majored in Sports Training Theory, Diving Research and Studies.
KR LI AT MIAMI
Men's MAC Diving Coach of the Year: 2009, 2010, 2011
Men's MAC Diver of the Year: Chris Heaton (2008, 2009), Jimmy Beres (2010, 2011)
Women's MAC Diver of the Year: Nikki Craft (2012), Pei Lin (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
Men's MAC Champion 1-Meter: Chris Heaton (2008, 2009), Jimmy Beres (2010, 2011)
Women's MAC Champion 1-Meter: Pei Lin (2015, 2016, 2017)
Men's MAC Champion 3-Meter: Chris Heaton (2008, 2009), Jimmy Beres (2011)
Women's MAC Champion 3-Meter: Nikki Craft (2012); Pei Lin (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
NCAA Zone C Women's Diving Champion 1-Meter: Pei Lin (2015, 2016)
NCAA Zone C Women's Diving Champion 3-Meter: Pei Lin (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
NCAA Championship Women's 3-Meter: Pei Lin (2nd 2015, 2nd 2016, 2nd 2017, 5th 2018)
NCAA Championship Women's 1-Meter: Pei Lin (10th 2015, 3rd 2016, 7th 2017, 21st 2018)
MAC Team Championships (Women): 2009, 2013
MAC Record Holders: Women's 3-Meter (Pei Lin 409.70 -- 2015)
MAC Championship Record Holders: Women's 1-Meter (Pei Lin 338.90 -- 2016), 3-Meter (Pei Lin 398.95 -- 2016)
KR LI COACHING CREDENTIALS
Head Diving Coach -- Miami University (August 2007-present)
Co-Head Diving Coach -- U.S. Elite Diving Academy (2001-2007)
Diving Coach -- Australian Institute of Sport Elite Diving Program (1995-2001)
Head Diving Coach -- Nanning Diving Team - Guangxi, China (1985-1995)
Assistant Diving Coach -- Nanning Diving Team - Guangxi, China (1980-1985)
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