A storybook year closed with a resounding exclamation point, as MWC produced a record seven All Americans at the NCAA Division III National Championships en route to a best-ever 25th-place finish in 1990-91.
Paced by freshman sensation Dawn Anderson (Midlothian, VA), the Eagles went 9-2 against a strong schedule, including a dominating victory in the first Capital Athletic Conference Championships. Then at nationals, Anderson - holder of school records in the 50 free (25.12) and the100 (1:00.38) and 200 (2:13.05) backstroke - became MWC's first individual All-America swimmer, placing eighth in the 200 backstroke and ninth in the 100 back, while also performing on the All-American 200 medley relay, along with now-graduated senior Shannon Brown, junior Tammy Cakouros (Falls Church, VA) and freshman Amanda Clair (Lancaster, PA). Cakouros is a three-time NCAA qualifier in the medley relays, and twice an All-American. The 200-freestyle relay team of Clair, Sarah Hertz (So./ Fairfax, VA), and now-departed seniors Stephanie Weekes and Susan DeBruhl also garnered All America laurels by taking 15th place.
Anderson, Clair and Hertz were just a trio in what CAC Coach of the Year Paul Richards termed "the best class in MWC swimming history." Alison Cerul (Nokesville, VA; school recordholder in the 400-individual medley in 4:54.93); Heidi Heise (Chatham, NJ; 100/200 back); Jill Trussell (Roanoke, VA; 100/200 fly); Megan Carter (New Providence, NJ; CAC 500 free champion in 1990-91) and Mary Botty (Wilton, CT; 100/200 back) were strong contributors as freshmen. Cerul - who won the 400 IM and 1650 free at the CAC meet - is the team's most versatile swimmer, according to Richards. Clair (50 free), Hertz (l00 free), Anderson (100/200 back) and Cakouros (200 breast) also won individual conference championships last season. Junior Allison Murdock (Salisbury, MD) is a strong, versatile swimmer who competes in both distance freestyle and the butterfly.
Richards - who also welcomes back IM/breast specialist Mary Ellen Dunn (So./South Amboy, NJ) and distance freestyler Becky Woodworth (Jr./Waynesboro, VA) after a year's absence - offered some insight into last year's unprecedented success.
“The timing was perfect for the '90-91 season...our largest class since 1987 was graduating and we got our largest freshman class ever," said Richards. 'The freshmen fed off the experience of the upperclassmen, and the veterans fed off the newness and excitement of the freshmen. They came together to form the greatest team in school history. And with this year's freshman class, I believe we can achieve even greater success in 1991-92."