Grove City College Men's Swimming and Diving
Hall of Fame

The Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame was established in 1985 as a means of honoring those athletes who have obtained a level of excellence in the pool that elevated them to heights achieved by only a select few.  The inductees represent current and former record holders, All-Americans, National Champions, and inspirational leaders.  These individuals have shown a commitment to the program and were identified by their predecessors, teammates, and successors as exemplary athletes and sportsmen.

A Hall of Fame class is typically inducted every other year and includes a minimum of three and a maximum of six new members.  In order to be nominated for consideration an athlete must be five years removed from their last competition.  A list of nominees is distributed to the Selection Committee prior to the first meet of an induction year.  The committee consists of ten individuals representing swimming and diving from each of the past six decades.

Individuals may be submitted at any time and may be self nominated.  When making a nomination please include as much information as possible.  Efforts will be made to contact the individual being nominated, but problems occasionally arise.  Click here to submit.

Additional information to be added soon.  Feel free to contact Coach Fritz with insight, corrections, or addendums

2008 Hall of Fame Induction Class

2006 Hall of Fame Induction Class

2004 Hall of Fame Induction Class

2002 Hall of Fame Induction Class

2000 Hall of Fame Induction Class

1994 Hall of Fame Induction Class

1993 Hall of Fame Induction Class

1991 Hall of Fame Induction Class

1989 Hall of Fame Induction Class

1987 Hall of Fame Induction Class

1985 Hall of Fame Induction Class

1985 Induction Class

	Ubbo van der Valk '60 Inducted 1985 In 1958 Ubbo became the first Grove City College swimmer to earn All-American honors when he ranked 8th in the 100 Breaststroke.  This accomplishment was especially impressive when considering that at that time all collegiate swimming fell under one classification - Ubbo was quite literally the 8th best breaststroker in the nation, including Division I programs. back to top
	Earl Mays '63 Inducted 1985 back to top
	William McGarry '66 Inducted 1985 During his four years at Grove City, Bill McGarry became one of the College’s most decorated athletes.  In his freshman year, The Collegian referred to him as “the most outstanding freshman this school has probably ever known.”  A standout in the individual medley and distance events, he sparked the swimming and diving team to a 37-6 dual meet record from 1962-1966 and four Penn-Ohio Championships.  As a freshman from Mount Lebanon, McGarry made an immediate impact as he set school records in the 200 IM and the 500 freestyle.  In his second season, he garnered NCAA College Division All-America honors in the 200 and 400 IM, the 1650 and the 400 medley relay.  A change in College policy prevented McGarry from returning to the NCAA Championships as a junior and senior.  He did, however, set numerous Penn-Ohio and home and away pool records and also served as team co-captain in 1965-66.  McGarry graduated as a four-time All-American, varsity record-holder in eight events and as an eight-time Penn-Ohio conference champion. back to top

1987 Induction Class

	James Livermore '65 Inducted 1987 Livermore was one of the trailblazers for the rich and storied tradition of Grove City College Diving.  A three time conference champion and Penn-Ohio Conference record holder on the one meter springboard, Livermore became the College's first diving All-American by finishing 3rd on one meter and 5th on three meter at the NCAA Small College Championships in 1964.  While collecting all of these accolades Livermore also managed to set the school record on the three meter board.  Unfortunately, Livermore was unable to repeat his All-American performance his senior year as Grove City did not participate in the National Championships that year.  Livermore was inspired, however, to continue diving competitively until his early 50's as he achieved the same results at the 1989 Masters Championships that he did at the 1964 NCAA Championships. back to top
	William "Skip" Arbuckle '71 Inducted 1987 Dubbed "Mr. Freestyle" for his accomplishments in the event, Arbuckle became the first GCC swimmer to earn All-American laurels 5 times.  In recognition of his tremendous accomplishments in the water Skip was recognized as the 1971 OΔK Sportsman of the Year. back to top
	Dan Reid '71 Inducted 1987 back to top

1989 Induction Class

	William Griffith '67 Inducted 1989 back to top
	Richard Jewell '67 Inducted 1989 Captain of the '66-'67 squad, Dick Jewell has the unfortunate distinction of being the best Grove City diver to never earn the title of All-American.  This was not a reflection on his abilities as he was clearly capable of competing with the best of the best.  It was merely a case of untimely circumstances - Grove City College sent no athletes to NCAA Championships during the years that Jewell competed for the Crimson.  He did however win the Penn-Ohio diving crown twice.  Jewell's contributions to the program did not end with his competition days, however.  He spent many days helping recruit further talent and has been a major factor in the ongoing success of Grove City Men's Swimming and Diving.  Currently the swimmer or diver who collects the most points at NCAA Championships or, in the event of a tie, at PAC Championships, is awarded the Dick Jewell MVP Award.  In August of 2003 Dr. Jewell rejoined his alma mater as the 8th president of the College. back to top
	Richard Durstein '77 Inducted 1989 back to top

1991 Induction Class

1993 Induction Class

1994 Induction Class

2000 Induction Class

2002 Induction Class

	Robert Etter '51 Inducted 2002 One of the fastest small college freestylers in his day, earned a team-high 87 points during the 1948-49 season. He specialized in the middle distance and distance freestyle events. He also swam on most relays. back to top
	Jay D'Ambrosio '95 Inducted 2002 One of only nine swimmers in school history to win All-American honors three years in row, Jay represented the Wolverines at nationals in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke all four years. D’Ambrosio still owns the varsity record in both the 100 backstroke (52.04) and 200 backstroke (1:53.63) events. He was named MVP of the 1994 Grove City College Swimming & Diving Invitational after leading the Wolverines to their fourth consecutive championship title. D'Ambrosio earned the Dick Jewell Swimming and Diving MVP Award from 1992-1994. back to top
	Doug Fullerton '97 Inducted 2002 Doug became the school's 44th All-American in 1996, placing ninth in the 200 individual medley. A three-time MVP, Fullerton still held an amazing eight varsity records at the tie of his graduation: 200 IM (1:55.34), 400 IM (4:07.99), 200 freestyle (1:43.20), 200 breaststroke (2:08.48), as well as the 200 free relay (1:25.26), 400 free relay (3:09.73), 200 medley relay (1:35.81) and the 400 medley relay (3:31.68).  He still sets the bar in both individual medleys, the 200 breaststroke, and the 200 free relay.  Fullerton also earned NCAA Academic All-American honors after posting a 3.98 grade point average in mechanical engineering. In addition to earning All-American in the 200 IM, Fullerton also was recognized as Grove City College's OΔK Sportsman of the Year in 1996.  From 1995-1997 Doug was awarded the Dick Jewell Swimming and Diving MVP Award. back to top
	James E. Longnecker, Head Coach 1957-1997 Inducted 2002 During his 40 years at the helm of the Grove City Men's Swimming and Diving Team, Coach Longnecker compiled a record of 366-93 (.797) which included wins over such schools as West Virginia University and the University of Pittsburgh.  Coach Longnecker's career reads like a coach's wish list - 40 consecutive winning seasons, 18 league championships, 6 undefeated seasons, 9 national top 20 finishes, 3 athletes earning 5 individual national championships, 44 All-Americans in 121 events, and the initiation of the Collegiate Division National Championship of which Grove City hosted the inaugural event.  Coach Longnecker has been recognized as a master coach by the Collegiate Swim Coaches Association. back to top

2004 Induction Class

	Lee Steller '57 Inducted 2004 Possibly one of the most intriguing statistics about Steller is that he still holds school records in two events.  Of course, the events have not been competed since 1956 - the 300 Medley Relay and 150 IM.  The mark that he set in the 150 IM was (and technically still is) a Penn-Ohio record.  Lee also was a school and conference record holder in the 100 Free and 200 Fly; a school record holder in the 440 Free, 400 Medley Relay and 400 Free Relay; and a conference record holder in the 200 IM.   He was a four time Penn-Ohio champion and helped lead the team to its first conference championship in 1955.  The 1957 co-captain is also regarded by some as the swimmer who originally put Grove City on the map - attracting talent to the school and inspiring his teammates, including fellow Hall member Ubbo van der Valk, to reach their full potential. back to top
	Jeff Moxie '80 Inducted 2004 A two time All-American, Moxie was a tremendous Breaststroker that set the standard in both the 100 and 200 events in 1980.  Currently he stands 7th all time in the 200 Breast and 10th all time in the 100 Breast.  In addition, he also set the school record in the 400 IM - a mark that still stands as 8th best in the history of the college.   back to top
	Eric Sluss '86 Inducted 2004 Sluss has proven to be the best butterflyer in the history of Grove City College, holding both the 100 and 200 fly school records for the past 21 years and achieving All-American status in the stroke four times.  Eric also helped his 1984 400 Medley Relay team finish 12th at NCAA Championships and set the school standard - a mark which held for 12 years until fellow Hall of Famer Doug Fullerton's team surpassed the time in 1996.  The true display of Sluss's prowess in the 100 Butterfly is the fact that his conference record in the event still stands.  Until 2003 he still held the conference record in the 200 Butterfly. back to top

2006 Induction Class

	Scott Johnston '55 Inducted 2006 Arriving on the pool deck his freshman year looking more like a tight end than a swimmer, Scott brought no more experience than some summer races across a lake against his brother.  With some guidance from his teammates and a fierce competitive drive, Scott soon became a school record holder in the 50 and 100 freestyle events and helped lead Grove City to it's first winning season (1951-52) and it's first conference championship (Penn-Ohio, 1955).  At the conference championships his senior year Scott was struggling with pneumonia, but was able to overcome his illness to win the 50 free in school record time.  Grove City won that championship by a mere 11 points - Johnston accounted for 14 of the team's total points.  Johnston closed his senior year by taking home the 1955 OΔK Sportsman of the Year award in recognition for his achievements in both swimming and soccer.  By being inducted into the Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame, Johnston becomes the first Grove City alum to be inducted into two separate Hall of Fames - he was inducted in Men's Soccer in 2003. back to top
	Jamie Brunk '76 Inducted 2006 As a two time All-American in the 400 and 800 Free Relays in 1976, Jamie was able to establish himself as one the of the best athletes not only in GCC Swimming history, but also as the outstanding athlete on campus his senior year - for which he was awarded the 1976 OΔK Sportsman of the Year.  In addition to his contributions on the relays, Jamie was also an accomplished distance swimmer - qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the 500 Free and taking first place honors at the Penn-Ohio Championships in both the 500 and 1650 Freestyle events.  Furthermore, Jamie was the first GCC swimmer to break 11:00 in the 1000. back to top
	Pat Kelley '87 Inducted 2006 The one time record holder in the 50 and 100 freestyle events, Pat became the first Grove City swimmer to break the 22.0 mark in the 50 free in his senior year.  Pat's record in the 50 stood for eleven years and is currently tied for fifth in the history of the college.  His record in the 100 stood for eight years and is now ranked 4th.  In addition to setting school records, Pat became an All-American in the 400 Medley Relay in both 1984 and 1985 as he anchored both those relays to then school record times at the NCAA Championships. back to top

2008 Induction Class

	Dave McClintic '65 Inducted 2008 A team captain for both his junior and senior years, McClintic helped lead the Wolverines to a cumulative record of 40-5 and four consecutive team conference titles during his tenure on the team.  Although the College made the difficult decision to not attend the NCAA Championships his senior year, McClintic still earned two All-American honors his junior year in the 400 Individual Medley and 400 Freestyle Relay.  In addition to his national recognition, McClintic also was a two time conference champion in the 500 Free while holding the school record in that event. back to top
	Chuck Stadler '65 Inducted 2008 Stadler became the first Grove City College swimmer to break the one minute barrier in the 100 backstroke his junior year.  During that campaign the Pittsburgh native earned All-American honors by finishing 4th in the 100 back, 10th in the 200 back, and leading the 400 Medley Relay to a 9th place finish.  Not only was he successful in the 100 back, he also won two conference titles in the 200 back and four titles in the Medley Relay as the team went 4-0 in Penn Ohio Championship meets and 40-5 in dual meets during his four years. back to top
	Keith Bennett '85 Inducted 2008 Affectionately called "Paddles" by his friends and teammates, Bennett came to Grove City as a small, inexperienced swimmer.  After spending four years with Coach Longnecker, Bennett left Grove City as the school record holder in the 200 and 400 IM, 200 Breast, 400 and 800 Free Relays, an All-American in the 400 Medley Relay, and the 1985 PAC MVP.  He became such and accomplished athlete that his times in the 200 Breast, 200 IM, and 400 IM still ranked in the top ten in the history of the College at the time of his induction over 20 years after the conclusion of his swimming career. back to top