CMC75 Moments: 1983 Men's Swim and Dive Finishes Second Behind Seven NCAA Records
As part of the buildup to the 75th Anniversary celebration for Claremont McKenna College (visit CMC's 75th Anniversary Countdown Page to learn more), we are reliving many of the great moments from CMS athletic department history over the 75-day countdown from April 17 to July 1. If you were a part of this great moment and would like to add to the memories, or if you would like to submit your memories of your own favorite CMS Athletics moments, fill out the form on our main 75th Anniversary page.
Great Moments from 75 Years of Athletics
1982-83 Men's Swim & Dive Sets Seven NCAA Records in Runner-Up Finish
Were it not for the dominance of Kenyon (which won 31 straight national championships from 1980-2010), the CMS men's swimming and diving program might have filled the old Ducey Gymnasium trophy case with national championship trophies during the 1980s. The Stags finished as the national runner-ups to Kenyon a total of six times between 1983-90, with the first coming in 1983, when they set a whopping seven national records on their way to coming in second.
Before heading to nationals, CMS had a strong regular season with a 10-1 dual record (5-0 in SCIAC) with the only loss coming to Division I UNLV. The Stags then dominated the conference championships, winning by over 200 points over second-place Occidental (573-366). The Stags then peaked at the right time, with Doug Jones earning national championships in the 500 free, 100 back and 200 back, Tom Harrison capturing first place in the 200 fly, 200 IM and 400 IM, and Bill Johnson and Nick Bagatelos joining Jones and Harrison on the winning 400 free relay team.
Johnson (50 free, 100 free), Bagatelos (200 breast), Bill Burk (200 free), Dave Neault (200 back), Ned Busch (400 IM) and Pete Lund (400 medley relay) also earned All-America honors, while Rob Marbut, Dave Seidner and Bryan Tuninck qualified for nationals. In addition to the seven national records, 13 CMS records and 12 SCIAC records were set by the Stags over the course of the season.
Harrison and Bagatelos were part of a senior class that earned four straight NCAA runner-up finishes behind Kenyon between 1983-86, and are both members of the CMS Hall of Fame.
Bill Burk:
That season was exceptionally special, at least for me. I hadn't been hitting any times and hadn't qualified for Nationals up to the last meet. Through some major help from Coach Mike (Sutton), I was able to see myself succeeding, and ultimately, qualified for Nationals.
You must understand, we were a very cohesive and close team. We all brought something to the table, but in truth, we were all playing backup to the most amazing talents of Doug and Tom. They were truly in a league of their own, and it was both a pleasure and an honor to be on their team.
Yeah, I think I swam a few races at Nationals that year, but honestly don't remember much about them. I do remember the pride and amazement of watching Tom and Doug swim and win every race they entered. If they left the blocks, they finished first. It was like watching art. Just beautiful.
I often think back to those days and wonder why did swimmers like them do so well, while the rest of us just did pretty well? What had they figured out? Same water, same workouts, same school pressures. You will have to ask Doug and Tom, but I have had many years to figure it out, and what works for me in my life.
What we all accomplished that year, has been an unwavering point of inspiration for me through the years.
Tom Harrison:
Reading Bill and Mike's write up of that first Nationals brought back some great memories for me. I'm getting pretty fuzzy on what happened 38 years ago. I do remember we were definitely going for it to beat Kenyon.
I remember Nick's 200 in the 800 free relay and how he got ahead of the Kenyon swimmer in the first 100 yards; I was amazed. Then his first 100 caught up with him and ouch for that last lap! I also remember that almost everyone did personal best times at that nationals which was huge and all that could be asked.
It brings back all of the memories of a team that was really bonded. Suffering through morning workouts together and balancing studies with exhaustion. Our first team meeting at the hotel in Canton with Baggs going on about something and being hyper and Doug telling him there's something wrong with him. Everybody handled the stress differently. We were a cast of characters that came together to do some great things.
I learned a lot from swimming. How to deal with pain, how to set goals, how to work hard and push through the pain to achieve the goals. Not winning was not an option for me for our team. I'd never had so many tough races in such a short period of time. By the end of Nationals I was exhausted and thrilled to celebrate with everyone on that team. That's my fondest memory – the heartfelt joy of celebrating with teammates at the end of Nationals for the sacrifices we had made to and for each other and what we had achieved.
Nick Bagatelos:
Tom, thanks for the memory reboot! I beat my personal best by over a second to my feet on the first 100 yards, and it took fourteen strokes from the flags to the wall on the eighth lap…PAIN!
I loved those days. That team was a magnificent moment in time. Mike brought us all together, and taught us how to make a grinding individual endeavor into a team sport. It made every one of us better.
1982-83 Men's Swimming Roster
Head Coach: Mike Sutton
Assistant Coaches: Havlin Kemp, Donna Evans
Nick Bagatelos (Fr., CMC)
Paul Breed (Jr., HMC)
Bill Burk (Jr., CMC)
Ned Busch (Fr., CMC)
Maurice Clifton (So., HMC)
Gary Eisenberg (So., CMC)
Tom Harrison (Fr., CMC)
John Hillier (Fr., HMC)
Tim Howett (Sr., CMC)
Bill Johnson (Jr., CMC)
Doug Jones (So., CMC)
Pete Lund (Jr., CMC)
Rob Marbut (Sr., CMC)
Brad Munroe (So., CMC)
David Neault (So., CMC)
David Ryba (Fr., HMC)
John Sayre (Fr., CMC)
David Seidner (Jr., CMC)
John Shubin (Fr., HMC)
James Stepman (Fr., HMC)
Bryan Tuninck (Fr., CMC)
Tom Whittemore (Fr., CMC)