Five Former Stags Named Candidates for CSCAA's 100 Greatest Swimmers and Divers Honor
CLAREMONT, Calif. - Five former members of the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's swimming and diving team were among the finalists for the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association Association 100 Greatest Swimmers and Divers Honor, which will be announced during the winter.
The five CMS representatives on the list included Eric Jones (CMC '71), a 10-time NAIA national champion and member of the inaugural CMS Hall of Fame Class in 1991, David Tempkin (CMC '72), who swept the four butterfly national titles in 1969 and 1970 and won eight national titles including relays, Tom Harrison (CMC '86), who won six national titles with the Stags (and whose son, Sam, is currently a member of the CMS men's water polo team), Doug Jones, who won three national championships in 1983 to lead CMS to a second-place finish at the NCAA Championships, and Gary Simon (HMC '98), who was the two-time Division III National Swimmer of the Year and helped CMS to a fourth-place finish in 1998.
Eric Jones finished his career with four individual national titles and six relay national titles, giving him 10 in his four seasons, to go along with several individual SCIAC championships. Primarily a sprinter in the 50 to 100 meter distances and in relay events, he competed on three SCIAC championship teams (1967-68, 1968-69, 1970-71) and three teams that were the NAIA runner-up (1967-68, 1968-69, 1969-70).
Jones and Tempkin teamed up for two seasons to dominate nationals, with Tempkin winning a combined eight national titles in two seasons (1969, 1970), including all four individual butterfly titles. Jones and Tempkin combined to win 14 national titles in that two-year span, but only once did they share one of them on the same relay.
Harrison became a six-time NCAA Division III national champion and a four-year All-American (12 individual and 11 relays) during his career in Claremont. He was an Olympic Trials qualifier (400 IM), a four-time first-team All-SCIAC selection (1983, 1984, 1985, 1986), won 12 SCIAC championships, set five SCIAC Championships meet records, team captain, four-year letterman, and ended his career with four NCAA Division III records in the 200 IM, 400 IM, 400 free, and 200 fly.
During his freshman season, Harrison was teammates with Doug Jones, then a sophomore, who earned national championships in the 500 free, 100 back and 200 back for the second straight season, giving him six in his two-year CMS career. before he transferred after his sophomore season. Harrison and Jones were also part of a 400-yard freestyle relay national championship team as well.
Simon was twice named the NCAA Division III Swimmer of the Year, winning five national titles in his two seasons with CMS. In 1998, he led CMS to a fourth-place finish as a senior, anchoring the final relay that helped CMS narrowly finish in fourth ahead of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, earning an NCAA trophy. He set a national record in the 200 IM in a time of 1:46.97 (his third NCAA record), which was so fast that it would have actually placed fourth in the NCAA Division I Championship that year. His time still stands as the CMS program record after 23 years, while he also places second at CMS in the 100 breast, third in the 200 breast, and fourth in the 100 butterfly at CMS.
The CSCAA, which was founded in 1922, created the 100 Greatest Swimmers and Divers honor in celebration of its approaching centennial year. A total of 2,805 athletes were nominated, and 973 advanced to the candidate pool which will go before a Blue Ribbon Panel of voters, which will choose 100 men and 100 women to their list. There were 739 swimmers and 234 divers among the list of nominees.
To view the complete list of nominees, go to the following link: