CMC75 Moments: 2004 Women's Swim and Dive Starts 12-Year Unbeaten Run in SCIAC

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
2004 Women's Swim & Dive:
Smith Wins NCAA Title in 400IM
Athenas Start 12-Year Unbeaten Streak in SCIAC

The CMS women's swimming and diving team won the SCIAC Championship in 2003 after falling to Pomona-Pitzer in a dual meet during the regular season. The 2004 team, though, a team that didn't have a senior on the entire roster, started CMS on a tremendous run of undefeated seasons with a 7-0 SCIAC record, the first of 12 unblemished SCIAC schedules in a row, which included 97 consecutive wins in league duals. Individually, Lisal Smith had a freshman season to remember, winning the 400 IM at the 2004 NCAA Division III Championships to become the second national champion in program history, joining Suzy Nicoletti, who won the 200-yard breaststroke two years earlier.

Smith added a fifth-place finish in the 200 IM to help CMS to an 11th place finish at nationals, along with the five relay teams which all placed in the top 13, including a fifth-place finish from the 400 free relay.

At the SCIAC Championships, winners for the Athenas also included Kelci Barnes (100 back), Amy Fuller (100 fly), Michelle Phillips (50 free), as well as all five relay teams. Smith set three SCIAC records, Fuller set one, and the 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay, 200 free relay and 400 free relay all set new SCIAC standards as well. Hilary Walters was All-SCIAC in the 50 free by finishing in the top three, Meredith King was All-SCIAC in the 400 IM and the 1650, Linh Luong captured all-league honors in the 50 free and 100 fly, and Jerrah Holth earned it in the 500 and 1650.

The 200 and 400 free relays that season featured Phillips, Smith, Lauren Kristenson and Luong, the 800 free relay was Barnes, Luong, Holth and Fuller, the 200 medley relay was Smith, Kristensen, Luong and Phillips, and the 400 medley relay was Smith, Phillips, Fuller and Kristensen.

Lisal (Smith) Moran:

There is one photo in particular (at right) that really sums up that season for me. Linh Carpenter Luong has rushed to my lane to give me the high five of a lifetime. It's a wonderful reminder of the sheer amount of work, discomfort, focus and dedication that went into that season. Linh was my weight room partner and there was a healthy level of respect and competition between us. There was no way I could have achieved what I did that day by myself.

I was obviously elated to have a best time, and lucky enough that day to be the fastest one in the pool, but there is another level of satisfaction when you get there with an awesome coach, and great teammates. That kind of passionate Athena camaraderie, built by people like Linh Luong and Suzy Nicoletti who arrived before me, my fellow '07 teammate Lauren Kristensen, and countless others who came after me in those early years like Kevyn Klein, Jordan Stewart, and Danielle Peebles, really set the foundation and built the momentum for that incredible championship streak. 

2003-04 Women's Swimming & Diving Roster
Head Coach: Charles Griffiths
Assistant Coaches: Tom Romano, Cassi Wright
Diving Coach: Gurgen Militosyan
Leslie Alvillar (So., CMC)
Ally Andrews (Jr., CMC)
Kelci Barnes (So., CMC)
Anne Marie Butler (So., Scripps)
Katy Densmore (Fr., Scripps)
Amy Fuller (Fr., CMC)
Lisa Hill (Fr., CMC)
Jerrah Holth (Fr., HMC)
Jill Hoyle (Jr., CMC)
Clare Hudson (Jr., CMC)
Sam Kepler (So., CMC)
Meredith King (So., CMC)
Lauren Kristenson (Fr., CMC)
Alli Lathrope (So., CMC)
Linh Luong (So., CMC)
Lauren Melin (So., CMC)
Stephanie Moyerman (So., HMC)
Nita Nehru (So., CMC)
Michelle Phillips (Jr., CMC)
Merisa Piper (Jr., CMC)
Marissa Root (So., Scripps)
Heather Schalliol (Fr., HMC)
Kat Shultis (Fr., Scripps)
Lisal Smith (Fr., CMC)
Alli Spring (Fr., CMC)
Hilary Walters (So., CMC)
Megan Yarnall (So., HMC)