Background
Lenzi, Mark was born on July 4, 1968 in Huntsville, Alabama, United States. Son of William S. and Mary Ellen Lenzi.
Olympic athlete springboard diver
Lenzi, Mark was born on July 4, 1968 in Huntsville, Alabama, United States. Son of William S. and Mary Ellen Lenzi.
Bachelor of Science in General Studies, Indiana University, 1990.
Lenzi was known for his Olympic gold medal in the 1992 Olympic Games, and his Olympic bronze medal in the 1996 Olympic Games on the 3 m springboard. Lenzi was also the first American diver to perform a 109C (forward 45 somersault tuck) in competition, and the first diver to score over 100 points in competition, performing a 307C (reverse 35 somersault tuck) off of the 3 m springboard for over 102 points. Inspired by seeing Greg Louganis earn a gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Lenzi quit wrestling at age 16 and took up diving.
Lenzi began his collegiate diving career with the Indiana University Hoosiers in 1986.
He was named National Collegiate Athletic Association Diver of the Year both seasons and added five Big Ten titles to those awards. Of his time at Indiana he said:
My time at Indiana is very special to medical
I have so many wonderful memories! lieutenant is difficult to pick one instance that stands out more than any other. Wearing the cream and crimson, as well as the stars and stripes, made me very proud.
I loved competing for Indiana and the United States.
If I had to pick a moment that really stands out for me then it would be one that was very recent. Being inducted into the Indiana Hall of Fame a few years ago was one of my proudest moments. I dreamed about it when I first arrived on campus and saw all of the legends in Assembly Hall.
Little did I know that one day I would have the honor of being included with this very prestigious group.
I was so overcome with emotion at the ceremony that I almost broke down. After making the United States. National team in 1989 at age 21, Lenzi graduated from Indiana University and began diving under coach Dick Kimball.
After briefly retiring from diving shortly after the Olympics, Lenzi returned to the sport in late 1995. He also became the first American diver to perform a 109C in competition, and the first diver to score over 100 points on a single dive in competition.
Lenzi returned to Indiana University briefly in the 2000s as an administrative assistant to the swimming and diving program
Foreign the two years prior to his death, Lenzi served as diving coach for the men"s and women"s teams at East Carolina University. On March 28, 2012, Lenzi suffered fainting spells, and was taken to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, North Carolina, where his blood pressure fell to 78/48. Normal being 120/80. According to his mother, Lenzi had been taking medication for a heart ailment.
He died on April 9, 2012.