College Swimmer Mark Finley Passes Away
By Alex Steger
HEAT Swimming
St. Louis, Mo.
Last Saturday morning, October 21, 21-year-old Mark Finley lost his battle with bone cancer and passed away. Mark's fight with the deadly disease had been chronicled several months ago on swiminfo and in Swimming World magazine.
Mark was raised in Florissant, Missouri, and as a youngster swam for the North County Swim Club (NCSC), Bridgeton Swim Club (BSC), Hazelwood Elite Aquatic Team (HEAT), and Rockwood Swim Club (RSCA). In college, he swam at the University of Missouri-Rolla. This past year he started coaching at HEAT, continuing until the beginning of July.
Not only was Mark an outstanding swimmer and coach but, more importantly, he was an even better person. Mark will definitely be missed by everyone who knew him.