In conjunction with the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) 100th Anniversary, the organization released its lists of the 100 greatest swimmers and divers of the past century.
Eight Kenyon graduates were among the honorees – four women and four men. The women’s honorees were Kenyon College greats Patty Abt, Carla Ainsworth, Amy Heasley and Katie Petrock. On the men’s side were Kenyon College swimmers James Born, Marc Courtney-Brooks, Andrejs Duda and Dennis Mulvihill.
Nearly 3,000 athletes were nominated, with a panel of current and former college swimmers, coaches and members of the media making selections from a list of 973 finalists. They chose 87 swimmers and 13 divers. Those honorees hail from 28 states and 13 countries. Highlights of the selections include 12 members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame and 59 Olympians.
Patty Abt – 1987
The Ladies’ most prolific swimmer from 1983 through 1987, Abt was instrumental in guiding the program to four straight national championships, the first four of the Ladies’ 17 straight NCAA team titles. Abt swam in 28 career NCAA Division III Championship races. She won 23 of those races, set records in 21 of them and gained the maximum 28 career All-America honors.
Carla Ainsworth – 1995
Ainsworth garnered 28 All-America honors, established seven NCAA records, collected 15 conference titles and graduated as the all-time leader in NCAA Division III history with 26 national championships. She was named Division III Swimmer of the Year three times, a first in NCAA history, and became the first woman to win the 200-yard freestyle four consecutive years.
Amy Heasley – 1988
A butterfly specialist, Heasley set 11 NCAA Division III and numerous Kenyon records throughout her career. She was a part of four national championship teams and piled up 28 All-America awards, as well as 22 NCAA event titles. She was NCAA champion in the 200-yard butterfly four consecutive years and was also a member of Kenyon relays teams that qualified for the 1987 NCAA Division I Championship.
Kathryn Petrock – 1997
An elite swimmer on four national championship teams, Petrock piled up a total of 24 All-America awards. At the time of her graduation, her collection of 18 career national titles (eight individual, 10 relay) was the fifth-best in Kenyon's swimming history. As a senior, Petrock garnered conference and national Swimmer of the Year honors after setting several College and national records.
James Born – 1986
A 16-time NCAA event champion and an All-American in 24 events, Born set 13 Division III and 20 Kenyon records in the process. He was the first Division III swimmer to earn All-America status at the Division I level, which he did in 1986, the same year he was named DIII's Swimmer of the Year. Born was a member of the U.S. National Team from 1985 to 1987 and participated in Olympic Trials in 1984, 1988 and 1992.
Marc Courtney-Brooks – 2004
Earned the maximum 28 career All-America awards and claimed 23 NCAA event titles, a total one short of Kenyon's all-time record. While setting multiple program records, his collection of 16 NCAA relay titles is tied for the most in program history. He remains the only Kenyon athlete to be voted the NCAA Division III Swimmer of the Year for three consecutive seasons.
Andrejs Duda – 2006
Winner of 24 NCAA Championship event titles, Duda also amassed 27 All-America awards. He was named the 2006 NCAA DIII Swimmer of the Year. Throughout his career, he won three NCAA titles in the 100 butterfly, the 200 butterfly and the 200 individual medley. Named to NCAC’s 30th Anniversary All-Decade Team, Duda also represented Kenyon and Latvia at the 2004 Olympics.
Dennis Mulvihill – 1988
Mulvihill won 18 national titles during his collegiate career and set seven Division III records. He was a 23-time All-American and a member of an elite group of Kenyon swimmers to earn All-America status at the Division I level. He accomplished the feat with a 15th-place showing in the 200-yard freestyle at the DI nationals in 1988, the same season he was named the NCAA Division III Swimmer of the Year.
