BATON ROUGE – LSU diver Juan Celaya-Hernandez was named the Nuevo León Athlete of the Year at a ceremony in Monterrey, Mexico on Monday. Celaya-Hernandez was selected for the honor based on his amazing achievements during the 2019 competitive season.
“It’s nice to see my hard work start to pay off, said Celaya-Hernandez. “I’ve made a lot of sacrifices throughout the years to put my energy into something that I love so much – and that is diving. To receive this award means a lot to me.”
This is an incredible honor for Juan,” said LSU head diving coach Doug Shaffer. “He had an incredible year last year and I know this honor means a lot to him.”
Celaya Hernadez’s 2019 campaign started with a bang at the 2019 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships where he claimed the gold medal on the one-meter springboard with a score of 440.30 and took the bronze on the platform with a score of 409.35.
At the 2019 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, he won the one-meter consolation final after diving to a score of 803.10. He followed that performance up with a third-place finish on platform, diving to a score of 435.80 to earn him the title of NCAA All-American.
On the international stage, Celaya-Hernandez started his summer off in Kazan, Russia in the FINA Diving World Series for his native country Mexico on the Three-Meter Synchro. Celaya-Hernandez, along with his partner Yahel Castillo earned a bronze medal in the event, kick starting what would be a very successful summer.
At the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju, Korea, the duo of Celaya-Hernandez and Castillo claimed another bronze medal for Mexico with a score of 413.94.
The two would go on to claim the top spot in the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru with a score of 429.81. Celaya-Hernandez also won two individual medals in Peru. He won the gold medal on the One-Meter Springboard with a score of 435.60. He then earned the silver on the Three-Meter Springboard, diving to a score of 458.30.
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