A Look At Julie Farrell-Ovenhouse
10/28/2005 12:00:00 AM | General
Oct. 28, 2005
NOTE: In honor of the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony this Saturday, Oct. 29, msuspartans.com will take an in-depth look at each of the five honorees throughout this week. Today is a look at Julie Farrell-Ovenhouse.
JULIE FARRELL-OVENHOUSE (DIVING: 1988-91)
By Ashley Johnson, MSU Sports Information
Former Michigan State standout and Olympic diver Julie Farrell-Ovenhouse won two NCAA Championships, was a six-time All-American, and earned four Big Ten titles during her career at MSU. And that's just the short list. "Julie is a very dedicated diver," former MSU diving coach John Narcy said. "She is without a doubt, the greatest diver, male or female, to ever come through Michigan State."
The comment holds true today, as Farrell-Ovenhouse still holds the school record on both the one- and three-meter boards in six and 11 dives. In addition, she holds the pool record for the one- and three-meters boards in six dives. Her 10-dive score at the Big Ten Meet in 1988 is also a standing record.
"It's an honor to have my name affiliated with Michigan State, and to have a record continue on for this amount of time," said Farrell-Ovenhouse. "It makes me very proud, and it's an honor just to see my name up there."
Farrell-Ovenhouse was a three-time Big Ten Champion on the one-meter board from 1989-91. In 1991, she also earned a Big Ten title on the three-meter board. Her two Big Ten titles in 1991 added up to a Big Ten Athlete of the Year award, and her success in the conference led to All-Big Ten honors from 1989-91. Those same years she was named Big Ten Diver of the Year. Farrell-Ovenhouse's academic achievements were also recognized, as she earned Academic All-Big Ten from 1988-91.
In national competition, Farrell-Ovenhouse was just as successful. In 1990 she won her first NCAA championship on the one-meter board, followed by another crown in 1991 on the three-meter board.
"It was a lot of fun," said Farrell-Ovenhouse on winning NCAA's. "My coach and I had put in thousands and thousands of hours, and to see it produce an outcome that we had both hoped and worked for so long for was very rewarding."
She collected All-American honors from 1989-91 on the one- and three-meter boards, and she was named NCAA Diver of the Year in 1990. That same year, Farrell-Ovenhouse made school history as the first junior to receive the MSU Sportswoman of the Year award.
While still in college, Farrell-Ovenhouse made a splash outside of collegiate competition as the highest placing American diver at the 1989 World Federation of International Athletes Cup (fourth) and at the Alma Challenge (third).
A four-year letterwinner for State, Farrell-Ovenhouse has the distinction of being one of four women to be named captain for two years. In addition, she was named team co-MVP in her junior year of competition, and MVP her senior year. By the end of her collegiate career Farrell-Ovenhouse was awarded with the MSU George Alderton Female Athlete of the Year award three times, from 1989-91, making her the only Spartan to have won the award on three occasions.
In addition, Farrell-Ovenhouse garnered more honors in 1991. She was named NCAA State of Michigan Woman of the Year, Big Ten Jesse Owens Athlete of the year (the first diver in history to earn this award) and was a member of the GTE Academic All-American women's at-large second team. She was also named to the Big Ten Athlete of the Decade list in 1991, by the Lansing State Journal.
Upon graduation, Farrell-Ovenhouse chose to put an end to her diving career, but was drawn back a year later to follow her Olympic dream. In 1992 in competition at the VI World Aquatic Championships in Perth, Australia, Farrell-Ovenhouse finished seventh on the three-meter, and eighth on the one-meter board. The same year, she finished second on the three-meter board, and fourth on the one-meter at the U.S. Championships. Her second-place finish on the three-meter board earned her a spot on the 1992 US Olympic team. In Barcelona, Farrell-Ovenhouse placed fifth on the three-meter board.
"The Olympics is the epitome of the sport," said Farrell-Ovenhouse. "It's where everyone dreams of going from the time they are a child and through all of the workouts. To get there was obviously a lifetime accomplishment that I cherish."
In 1993, in recognition of all that she had achieved, Farrell-Ovenhouse was named to the Greater Lansing Area Sports Hall of Fame.
Now, as she is inducted into the MSU Sports Hall of Fame, Farrell-Ovenhouse accepts the honor with great pride.
"My heart and blood are green through and through, so I just couldn't imagine anything greater," said Farrell-Ovenhouse.
Players Mentioned
