Athletics

Varsity Sports

Men's Swimming and Diving

Overview

Taylor Hogenkamp '13 and Ian Nichols '13 lead the Hamilton College men's swimming and diving team into 2012-13. Both swimmers have made the NESCAC all-conference team for exceptional performance at the NESCAC championship during their Hamilton careers. Nichols also holds the school record in the 50-yard breaststroke. Hogenkamp competed in the championship finals for the 100 and 200 freestyle and finished first in the 50 free consolation final at the 2012 NESCAC Championship. Hogenkamp, Nichols and Dan Levine '13 are the team captains.

Hamilton competes in the NESCAC championship in February. Todd Johnson '08 picked up the NESCAC Four-Year High-Point Swimmer Award at the conclusion of the 2008 meet. The NESCAC event is one of the fastest Division III meets in the nation prior to the NCAA championships. Four NESCAC teams placed in the top 25 at the 2012 national meet. Other highlights on the 2012-13 schedule include the Hamilton College Invitational in December, dual meets at Wesleyan University and Amherst College in January and a training trip to the Florida Keys during winter break.

Reid Swartz '15 emerged as the leader of a strong freshman class last season. Swartz qualified for the consolation finals in the 100 and 200 backstroke at the 2012 NESCAC meet. Conor Collins '14 made the 200 free consolation final and Nichols competed in the conso finals for the 50 and 100 breast.

Hogenkamp and Tom Cyran '12 joined forces with Jake DeConinck '11 and Bowie Sievers '11 to earn 2010-11 NESCAC all-conference honors for the 800 free relay. They finished third in the event at the 2011 NESCAC Championship. Hogenkamp is a two-time all-conference honoree for the 800 free relay, and Nichols made the 2009-10 All-NESCAC team for the 50 breast. Nichols set the school record in the 50 breast with a time of 26.60 seconds at the 2010 NESCAC Championship.

Hamilton finished fifth out of 11 teams at the 2010 NESCAC Championship -- the best performance for the Continentals at the competitive event since 2005. Sievers, who was a three-time all-conference performer and 2009 NCAA Division III Championships participant, led Hamilton at the 2010 conference meet. Sievers set a school record in the 400 individual medley at the 2009 NESCAC Championship.

The program's first All-Americans were Rick Volp '69 and Bruce Mohl '68 in 1967. Mohl was a national champion in the 200 back in 1967, and in the 400 IM in 1968. Jeff Carlberg '75 added national titles in the 100 breast in 1974 and 1975. A total of 39 athletes have earned All-America recognition and a number of others have received honorable mention All-America awards. Todd Johnson is the most recent All-American as he finished eighth in the 100 back at the 2008 NCAA Championships. The Continentals scored at least one point at the national meet every year from 1992 to 2008. The team's best showing at the championships was eighth place in 1975 and 2000.

Mike Salmon (2003-06), Brian Hogan (1975-78) and Norman Lyster (1978-81) are the only Hamilton men's swimmers and divers to capture All-America honors all four years. Five others (Carlberg, Jonathan Greene '95, Anthony Loeffler '01, D.J. Postles '00, Volp) were All-Americans three out of four years. Salmon -- a diver -- enjoyed one of the most decorated seasons by a Hamilton athlete his senior year. He won all 16 events in which he competed and capped the season with titles in the 1- and 3-meter springboard at the 2006 NCAA Championship. He was the obvious choice for NCAA Division III diver of the year and was named NESCAC diver of the year for the third straight season. Salmon broke his own 3-meter school record at the 2006 NCAA meet, and holds school and NESCAC records for the 1-meter board. He earned a total of seven All-America awards during his brilliant career.

Hamilton swimmers and divers also excel in the classroom. Mike Salmon was selected to the 2006 Academic All-America Men's At-Large second team by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Jim Baker '04 was valedictorian of his graduating class. Graham Boyd '14, Jon Fung '12 and Tom Youngblood '13 made the 2011-12 NESCAC Winter All-Academic Team. The Continentals earned College Swimming Coaches Association of America scholar All-America team honors last season.