University of California, Santa Cruz

Ariel Rittenhouse joined the UC Santa Cruz staff as a Volunteer Assistant in 2022 before being named Diving Coach in Fall 2023.

Coach Rittenhouse is a 2008 Beijing Olympic team member for the sport of diving. A Santa Cruz native who began diving at the age of 7, she is a two-time world cup medalist, a two-time World Championship team member, and a 2007 Pan American Games Silver Medalist. She placed fourth in the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the women’s three meter synchronized diving event with her diving partner, Kelci Bryant.

Coach Rittenhouse attended college at Florida State University, and held the school record in the women’s three meter after her gold medal winning performance at the 2013 ACC Championships. In 2013 she was named the diver of the year and was the Golden Nole Award winner at Florida State.

From 2016-2020, Coach Rittenhouse was elected to the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s Athlete Advisory Council and represented the diving athlete population along with serving on USA Diving’s Board of Directors. 

Coach Rittenhouse comes from a family of Olympians, with her mother, Sharon Rittenhouse, earning a silver medal in the 400 I.M. at the 1964 Olympic Games, and her uncle, Michael Finneran, competing in diving at the 1972 Olympic Games.