The Sport

The swimming program is designed to maximize each individual's abilities and offer a rewarding experience in college athletics. Stroke technique is stressed and swimmers are give individual attention throughout the season. Workouts are structured to afford each swimmer the opportunity to train hard and reach their potential and goals.

Training begins in the fall with dryland and weight training. Water training begins early in October. The dual meet schedule includes both Division I and III colleges and universities and is designed to challenge the ability of every swimmer. Each year, during the winter break, the team takes a training trip to take long course double workouts and enjoy a break from the winter weather. Recent trips have been to Aruba, Barbados, St. Croix V.I, Puerto Rico, Nassau, and Florida.

Swarthmore offers one of the finest training and competition facilities. The pool is a 10 lane by 10 lane (yards by meters) facility equipped with a new Colorado timing system. This past year with the opening of the Mullan Tennis fitness center, the college now has top of the line aerobic equipment, free weights, and top of the line MedX resistance exercise machines.

Men's Team

Team spirit and a desire to excel epitomize Swarthmore men's swimming. Since coming under the direction of Coach Susan Davis in 1983, the men's team has made a steady climb up the ladder of success culminating in a conference championship title in 1989, and consistent second place finishes since that time. Swarthmore men have been represented at NCAA Division III National Championships in 1975, and from 1995 through the present producing nine National qualifiers and three All Americans.

1993 marked the inaugural year of Swarthmore college's participation in the Centennial Conference. The Centennial Conference is comprised of 11 colleges, which share similar academic and athletic philosophies. The men hold multiple Conference Championship records. The dual meet record in 1999-2000 was 7-4.

Consistent with their success in the pool, Swarthmore men were represented on the Centennial Academic Honor Roll along with 68 other Swarthmore athletes in 1998-1999. In 1998, our captain was selected as a First Team National GTE Academic All American.

Women's Team

Following their conference title in 2001, strong team unity and pride continues to distinguish the women's swim team at Swarthmore College. Swarthmore has had a long history of success in women's swimming. Under the leadership of Coach Davis since 1974, the women have consistently represented Swarthmore at the National Championship level with four NCAA Division I national qualifiers (one All American), as well as 48 NCAA Division III national qualifiers (38 All Americans), and team placings in the top 20.

1993 marked the inaugural year of Swarthmore college's participation in the Centennial Conference. The Centennial Conference is comprised of 11 colleges, which share similar academic and athletic philosophies. The women have been successfully competitive with consistent second place Championship finishes and hold multiple Conference Championship records.

Consistent with their success in the pool, Swarthmore women were represented on the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll along with 68 other Swarthmore athletes in 1998-1999.

About the College

Considered one of the finest liberal arts schools in the country, Swarthmore College offers its 1,400 students an intimate and caring environment that cultivates individual growth through scholarship, friendship, and participation.

The College's 330 acres, located 20 minutes by local train from Philadelphia, has facilities comparable to many large universities. Its 10 academic buildings have extensive laboratories for the sciences, engineering, computer science, and social sciences. Modern computer facilities are always open for student use.

Three libraries, a music building, and a performing arts center provide extensive resources for study, research, and performance. Students also enjoy a central dinning hall, student center, Intercultural center, Black Cultural Center, Women's Center, Community Resource Center, and both coed and single sex residence halls with telephone and computer network connections for every student.

Swarthmore's student-faculty ratio is less than 9 to 1, among the lowest in the country. Students work closely with outstanding scholars who are committed to teaching.

Athletics are an integral part of the Swarthmore education. Swarthmore's athletic teams have garnered many league titles, post-season, playoff berths, and conference records. Nationally Swarthmore athletes are represented as All Americans in numerous sports:48 in men's tennis, 41 in men's and women's swimming, 38 in men's soccer, 30 in men's lacrosse, eight in men's and women's track and field, five in women's lacrosse, and two each in football and field hockey. Six Swarthmore men have been inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and two in the National Football Hall of Fame, while four men's tennis teams have won NCAA Championships.

Swarthmore has produced 16 Rhodes Scholars and two alumni; Lee MacPhail Jr. and Neil Austrian have served as presidents of the American Baseball League and the National Football League respectively.

For perspective swimmers: To request more information from the school, please print out and fill out the swimmer information sheet and mail it to the address provided in the contact information addressed to Coach Sue Davis. The information sheet is availiable in PDF format or as a simple JPEG File