SUWANEE, Ga. - Only five short years had
passed since the Southern Collegiate Athletic
Conference conducted its first conference swimming
championship in 1999. And although the sport had produced its share
of all-American performances, no one from the conference had stood
atop the national awards podium in any event. That all ended on
March 21, 2003.
At the 2003 NCAA Division III Men's Swimming and Diving National
Championships at Emory (Ga.) University, Rose-Hulman Institute
of Technology senior Matt Smith became the first swimmer in school
and conference history to win an individual national
championship with his efforts in the 100-yard breaststroke. That
historical performance is being recognized as the top men's
swimming and diving moment in SCAC history. Top 20
Moments homepage
Smith, who took top honors in the event with a 56.20
finish, followed up his championship performance with a
swimming program school-record fourth career all-American award by
finishing fifth in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of
2:04.73. The fifth-place time was a personal-best for Smith and
another Rose-Hulman school record.
In the final 2003 NCAA Division III Men's Swimming & Diving
team standings, Rose-Hulman finishes 22nd while fellow SCAC members
DePauw University and Trinity University finish 31st and
34th, respectively.
"This is very exciting and overwhelming," said then Rose-Hulman
coach Mike Caruso immediately after Smith's history-making
swim. "It hasn't sunk in yet for either of us. This was the best
swim that Matt has had in his life. This was one of the best
swims I have ever seen and without a doubt the best swim in
Rose-Hulman history."
Russell Kramer, the SCAC Director of Communications/New Media, had
a chance to catch up Smith to reflect on that national
title swim, his career at Rose-Hulman, and to find out what the
former all-American has done since that fateful day in 2003. Click
here to listen.
To view the complete list of SCAC Men's Swimming and Diving Top
Moments, click here.
Throughout the 2010-2011 academic year, the Southern Collegiate
Athletic Conference will celebrate its 20th anniversary. A special
logo commemorating the occasion will be used and the league
office will also be releasing the Top 20 moments for each sport the
conference sponsors (excluding men's and women's lacrosse).
Smith's Historical Swim Named Top SCAC Men's Swimming & Diving Moment
Posted: Feb 03, 2011