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 moment, fill out the form on our main 75th Anniversary page.
Great Moments from 75 Years of Athletics
1967 Men's Swimming and Diving wins National Championship
The Claremont-Mudd athletic department wasn't even 10 years old when the 1967 men's swimming and diving program broke through for an NAIA National Championship, the first of seven national titles the department has won over the years. The Stags compiled an 8-1 record in dual meets (the only loss came to USC's freshman team, which would be considered an exhibition under modern rules), and absolutely dominated SCIAC competition with wins by scores of 85-19, 86-17, 82-21, 84-19 and 79-25.
At the NAIA Nationals in Buffalo, the Stags got off to a bit of a slow start and were in seventh place after the first day, but moved up to third after day two and then had a strong final day to move into first place and bring home the national title. The meet came right down to the final relay, when Claremont-Mudd had only a three-point lead with Bemidji and Macalaster both in position to take the national championship with a winning relay, but the Stags came through to win both the race and the national championship.
Five swimmers earned All-America distinction to go with their team national championship: Joe Busch, Steve Writer, Cliff Rediger, Alex Johnston (the four on the winning relay team), and Robin Durnin (who was second in the 100 free). Senior captain Chip Hardinge earned the team's Outstanding Swimmer Award, before earning a CMS Hall of Fame induction. Head Coach Dez Farnady ('64-'74) led the team to the national title in his third season at the helm and was elected to the CMS Hall of Fame as well, as was Busch (Hall of Fame Class of 1997), who finished second in the 200 free and fourth in both IM events in 1967. Busch then went on twin the first individual national title in Claremont-Mudd history the following year, taking first in the 200-yard butterfly at the 1968 NAIA Championships.
Joe Busch:
My fondest memory of competing was being trusted to anchor the 4x200 free relay at Nationals each year. Gary Niemeyer '69 dubbed us the "Bossabean Tigers". The group that was there when I swam, essentially the classes of 1967 through 1973, still stays in touch. The camaraderie was always special on those teams. To have Scott Campbell, later to be the Danish Olympic coach, as a senior take my freestyle stroke apart and put it back together is just one example.
One of the other important items from the 1967 team was that we went with 11 swimmers and a diver, 12 in all, so we were somewhat shorthanded compared to some other teams that had up to 18. Bottom line: every member of that 12-pack scored at least one point, a total team effort.
Karl Graeber:
What was important was getting funding for our trip from the college and Dez had to sweet-talk the administration to get funding for 12 of us. The 1966 team (which finished sixth) only had six guys, and the college only paid airfare while we paid room and board. In Buffalo, we still had to pay for our own food while we stayed at the Howard Johnson's (pretty classy in comparison to the truck stop motel from the previous year). After we won the title, everything was paid for.
1966-67 Men's Swimming Roster
Head Coach: Dez Farnady
Bruce Argall (HMC)
Jeff Bryson (CMC)
Joe Busch (CMC)
Bill Coman (HMC)
Robin Durnin (CMC)
Hugh Felt (CMC)
Brian Gill (CMC)
Mead Greenberg (CMC)
Gene Goltz (HMC)
Bob Groos (CMC)
Karl Graeber (CMC)
Chip Hardinge (CMC)
Jim Hlavka (HMC)
Bill Hutchinson (CMC)
Eric James (CMC)
Jon Johnson (HMC)
Alex Johnston (CMC)
Bob Leach (CMC)
Ross McDonald (CMC)
Stuart Mims (CMC)
Ted Mogey (CMC)
Gary Niemeyer (CMC)
David Preskill (CMC)
Cliff Rediger (CMC)
Bob Struble (CMC)
Bill Watson (HMC)
Steve Writer (CMC)
