CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — The Patriot League Men’s Swimming and Diving 25th Anniversary Team was announced on Wednesday as Navy, which has won the last 12 League titles, led all schools with eight selections.
The team members are listed below by school, with seasons representing the swimmer’s years of competition in the Patriot League. Each school that participates in men’s swimming and diving selected 25 players in the voting for the 25th Anniversary Team, and could not vote for its own student-athletes.
American: Mark Liscinsky (2001-03); Ethan Bassett (2001-04); Val Fomenko (2002-06)
Army West Point: Chris Nguyen (2009-13); Joe Novak (1995-99); Chris Szekely (2012-present); Daniel Downs (1999-03)
Boston University: Connor Stuewe (2013-15)
Bucknell: Jay Gross (1990-93); Mike Nicholson (2010-14); Alex Johnson (1995-99)
Colgate: Mike Colvig (1992-96); Greg Sobo (1990-94)
Lafayette: Andrew Rutherfurd (1990-94)
Lehigh: Jeff Cline (1992-96); Ken Johns (1992-96); Chris Scheier (1995-99)
Navy: Mac Anthony (2008-12); Kevin Teague (2003-07); Adam Meyer (2006-10); Justin Vagts (2009-13); Thomas Duvalll (2012-present); Joe Smutz (2003-06); Michael Linn (2003-06); Olaf Olson (2007-11)
Fourteen honorees won at least one Patriot League Swimmer of the Meet award, with seven earning the distinction more than once, while four were named Patriot League Diver of the Meet with three of those honorees earning the award three times or more. Ten Anniversary Team members were also named to the Patriot League All-Decade Team for competition from 1990-2000, while the group has combined for 54 All-League honors (All-League Teams were not awarded in the first four seasons of Patriot League competition). There was at least one 25th Anniversary Team member on 18 teams which won the League Championship, including each of the last 12 and all but two over the past 20 years.
The Patriot League is releasing 25th Anniversary Teams throughout the month of August for each sport that has been sponsored by the League since it became an all-sport conference beginning in the 1990-91 season. In addition to the 25th Anniversary Teams, coverage throughout the 2015-16 season will focus on former student-athletes and top stories in the history of the Patriot League.
More information on the Patriot League Men’s Swimming and Diving 25th Anniversary Team members is included below, with the honorees listed alphabetically. All seasons listed designate the player’s years of competition within the Patriot League.
Patriot League Men’s Swimming and Diving 25th Anniversary Team
Mac Anthony, Navy (2008-12) — Anthony earned a pair of individual awards in his time in the Patriot League, claiming the 2011 League Swimmer of the Meet award and the 2009 Rookie of the Year honor. He earned first-team All-League honors in each of his four seasons, and is tied for the records for relay event victories (10) and overall titles (18) won at the League meet. Among his eight individual titles, Anthony claimed the 200 free in all four of his seasons as well as a pair in the 500 free. His success helped Navy win the League title in all four of Anthony’s seasons.
Ethan Bassett, American (2001-04) — Bassett earned first-team All-Patriot League honors in each of his three seasons in the League. He was a four-time NCAA “B” Qualifier and also excelled in the classroom as the 2002 Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Jeff Cline, Lehigh (1992-96) — Cline had an outstanding career that included two Patriot League Swimmer of the Meet awards, doing so in 1994 and again as a co-winner in his senior season in 1996. He was a 10-time individual champion at the Patriot League meet, and earned first-team All-League status in his final two years. Cline was also named to the Patriot League All-Decade Team and won the Scholar-Athlete of the Year as well as an Academic All-America status in 1996.
Mike Colvig, Colgate (1992-96) — Colvig claimed the Patriot League Co-Swimmer of the Meet award as a senior in 1996 and finished as a first-team All-League selection in each of his final two seasons. He won the 200 IM, 400 IM and 200 breaststroke at the 1996 League Championship. Colvig was also selected to the Patriot League All-Decade Team
Daniel Downs, Army West Point (1999-03) — Downs earned first-team All-Patriot League recognition three times, taking the honor consecutively in 2000-01 and again as a senior in 2003. He captured the Swimmer of the Meet award as a freshman in 2000, helping Army West Point win the Patriot League title that season and again in 2001. Downs was also named to the Patriot League All-Decade Team despite competing for just one season when the squad was announced in 2000. He was selected as the 2001 Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Thomas Duvall, Navy (2012-present) — Duvall won individual honors at his first two League Championship meets, claiming the Rookie of the Year award in 2013 before a Swimmer of the Meet honor in 2014. He has earned first-team All-League status and helped Navy win the League title in each of his first three seasons as Duvall prepares to enter his senior year in 2015-16. He has won five individual events and six relays in his three seasons at the League Championship. Duvall also claimed first-team All-America recognition at the 2014 NCAA Championship by finishing in seventh place in the 500 free.
Val Fomenko, American (2002-06) — Fomenko earned first-team All-Patriot League honors in each of his final three seasons at American, and took home a pair of individual awards as the 2005 Patriot League Swimmer of the Meet and the 2006 Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He was also a two-time NCAA “B” Qualifier.
Jay Gross, Bucknell (1990-93) — Gross was a standout during the first three seasons of Patriot League competition, winning the Co-Swimmer of the Meet award at the League Championship in both 1992 and 1993. He won eight individual titles at the League Championship and was a member of six winning relay teams. Gross was also named the 1992 Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Ken Johns, Lehigh (1992-96) — Johns had a stellar career at Lehigh that included first-team All-Patriot League honors in both his junior and senior seasons. He was a four-time champion at the League meet, and was named to the Patriot League All-Decade Team.
Alex Johnson, Bucknell (1995-99) — Johnson earned first-team All-Patriot League honors in each of his four seasons. He won three individual titles at the Patriot League Championship and is a member of the League’s All-Decade Team. Johnson was also named the Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year as a senior in 1999.
Michael Linn, Navy (2003-06) — Linn earned first-team All-Patriot League honors in each of his three seasons from 2004-06, helping Navy to the League title each time. He won 14 titles at the League Championship including four as an individual. Linn swam on Navy’s 200 free and 400 free relay teams which each placed in the top 15 at the NCAA Championship and earned All-America recognition.
Mark Liscinsky, American (2001-03) — Liscinsky was a standout in two seasons in the Patriot League, winning the Swimmer of the Meet honor in each of his years in 2002 and 2003. He was a three-time NCAA “B” Qualifier and competed at the national championships in his senior year, finishing 18th in the 200-yard individual medley and 32nd in the 200-yard freestyle.
Adam Meyer, Navy (2006-10) — Meyer claimed the Patriot League Swimmer of the Meet honor as both a junior and senior in 2009 and 2010. He earned first-team All-League honors each season as well as in 2007, and helped Navy win the Patriot League title in each of his four seasons. He won 12 titles at the League meet, including seven as an individual and a pair in the 100 fly, 200 fly and 200 IM. Meyer is also the most accomplished Patriot League swimmer on the national level as the League’s only multiple individual All-America honoree. He earned the status in the 200 fly in both 2009 (13th place) and 2010 (14th place), and competed in five individual events at the NCAA Championship over those two seasons.
Chris Nguyen, Army West Point (2009-13) — One of the top divers in Patriot League history, Nguyen earned first-team All-League status in all four of his seasons and the League Championship Diver of the Meet award in his final three years from 2011-13. He was an NCAA “A” Zone Qualifier in each of his four seasons. Nguyen holds Patriot League Championship meet records in both the 1-meter and 3-meter (six dives), and the overall record in the 1-meter (six dives). He swept the events at the League Championship in both 2012 and 2013.
Mike Nicholson, Bucknell (2010-14) — Nicholson was outstanding from start to finish in his career at Bucknell as he earned first-team All-Patriot League honors in each of his four seasons. He claimed three Patriot League titles and graduated as the Bucknell record-holder in five different individual events.
Joe Novak, Army West Point (1995-99) — Novak is the only three-time winner of the Patriot League Swimmer of the Meet award, capturing the honor in consecutive seasons from 1997-99. He also helped Army West Point capture the Patriot League title in his first three seasons from 1996-98, and was named to the first-team All-League squad three times. Novak earned a spot on the Patriot League All-Decade Team. He won the 50 free, 100 free and 100 fly in each of his seasons as Swimmer of the Meet.
Olaf Olson, Navy (2007-11) — Olson was honored as the 2009 Patriot League Diver of the Meet and earned All-League status three times, including first-team honors in both 2009 and 2011. He won both the 1-meter and 3-meter at the League Championship in 2009, and holds the overall Patriot League record on the 3-meter (six dives). Olson competed at the 2011 NCAA Championship in both events and placed in the top 35 each time.
Andrew Rutherfurd, Lafayette (1990-94) — Rutherfurd made an instant impact at Lafayette and in the Patriot League when he won the League’s first Swimmer of the Meet award as a freshman at the inaugural League Championship in 1991. He added another award as the Co-Swimmer of the Meet as a sophomore when he also earned All-America status for finishing in fourth place in the 100 breast at the NCAA Championship. He also competed in the event at the 1991 NCAA Championship with a 22nd-place finish. Rutherfurd was also named to the Patriot League All-Decade Team.
Chris Scheier, Lehigh (1995-99) –Scheier received first-team All-Patriot League status in each of his four seasons for the Mountain Hawks as he won three individual titles at the League Championship in that time. He helped Lehigh win the Patriot League title as a senior in 1999. Scheier was also selected to the Patriot League All-Decade Team.
Greg Sobo, Colgate (1990-94) — Sobo was the top diver over the first four years of Patriot League competition. He won the League’s Diver of the Meet award three straight times from 1992-94, and claimed the title in the 1-meter in all four of his seasons and in the 3-meter three times. He holds school records in both events for both six dives and 11 dives, and still has the Patriot League overall and meet records in the 1-meter (11 dives). Sobo competed in both the 1-meter and 3-meter dives at the NCAA Championships in 1993 and 1994, finishing 31st or better each time. He was a member of the Patriot League All-Decade Team as well as a two-time Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 1993 and 1994.
Joe Smutz, Navy (2003-06) — Smutz helped Navy win the Patriot League title in its first three seasons in the conference by claiming first-team All-League status each season from 2004-06, and adding the League’s Swimmer of the Meet honor as a senior. Smutz won 10 titles at the League Championship, including a pair individually. He competed at the 2004 NCAA Championship in both the 50 free and 100 free with top-50 finishes in each event and also swam on Navy’s relay teams in the 200 free and 400 free which each placed in the top 15 and earned All-America status.
Connor Stuewe, Boston University (2013-15)— Stuewe had a great two seasons in the Patriot League that included the Swimmer of the Meet honor as a senior in 2015 and first-team All-League status in each of his two years. He posted meet and League records in both the 100 and 200 backstroke at last year’s League Championship.
Chris Szekely, Army West Point (2012-present) — Szekely has earned All-Patriot League honors in each of his three seasons, with first-team recognition in the last two years. He had the most individual points at last year’s League Championship and earned an NCAA “B” cut time in the 50 free.
Kevin Teague, Navy (2003-07) — Teague has the most success for a diver in the history of the Patriot League Championship. He was named Diver of the Meet in each of his four seasons and won both the 1-meter and 3-meter dives in each year, helping Navy claim the overall Patriot League title each time. Teague is the only person in League Championship history to accomplish either feat. He holds the Patriot League overall and meet record in the 3-meter event (11 dives), and competed at the NCAA Championship in the 1-meter in both 2004 (22nd place) and 2006 (33rd place). Teague helped Navy win the Patriot League title in each of his four seasons.
Justin Vagts, Navy (2009-13) –Vagts was named Patriot League Swimmer of the Meet in both 2012 and 2013 after also earning the League’s Rookie of the Year award in 2010. He was named to the first-team All-Patriot League squad in each of his four seasons, and helped Navy win the League title every year. Vagts won eight individual titles at the League Championship, with three in both the 400 IM and 1650 free and a pair in the 500 free. He competed in the 1650 free at the 2011 NCAA Championship, finishing in 25th place.
Swimming news courtesy of Patriot League.