Longhorn Women’s Swimming Honors

Leigh Ann Fetter | Swimming | 1987-1991

During her time at Texas, she became the first woman to swim the 50 freestyle under 22 seconds on her way to her fourth of seven NCAA individual titles. Her time of 21.92 seconds was a Texas record for over 25 years. She was undefeated in her 50 freestyle races and helped Texas to three team titles and later went on to compete at the 1998 Olympics and was named the 1991 Honda Sports Award.

Vera Ilyina | Diving | 1996-1998

Ilyina was tabbed with the CSCAA Diver of the Year award twice in her illustrious career after winning four NCAA Championships, sweeping the 1-meter and 3-meter in 1997 and 1998. She dominated conference awards, being named the Big 12 Diver of the Year in 1997 and 1998 and was the Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year in 1998. The four-time Olympian won two medals in the 3-meter springboard synchronized event.

Kim Linehan | Swimming | 1980-1983

Linehan was a dominant freestyler for the Longhorns, winning six individual AIAW event titles and earning 20 All-American honors along the way. Linehan helped Texas to the 1981 and 1982 AIAW National titles and was a two-time Olympian. She held the world record in the 1,500 freestyle from 1979-1987 and was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame inn 1997.

Betsy Mitchell | Swimming | 1986-1988

Mitchell was a seven-time individual NCAA Champion and a 20-time All-American who helped guide Texas to three NCAA team titles. The two-time Honda Sport Award finalist was named the 1980’s Southwest Conference Swimmer of the Decade and twice represented the United States in the Olympics. She went on to be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1998.

Joan Pennington | Swimming | 1978-80 & 1982-1984

Pennington was Texas’ first legendary swimmer, winning six individual NCAA and AIAW event titles, 28 All-America awards and helped the Longhorns to its first-ever NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship. The two-time World Championship medalist was also the 1978 Honda Sport Award for swimming and diving.

Jill Sterkel | Swimming | 1979-83

To date, Sterkel is one of the most successful college swimmers, with 16 individual national championships, 27 All-America honors, and two Honda Swimmer of the Year accolades. She was a four-time Olympian, earning two gold medals and two bronze. She later returned home and coached the Longhorns from 1992 to 2006.

Laura Wilkinson | Diving | 1996-2000

Wilkinson was a two-time NCAA Champion in platform for Texas, winning her freshman and junior campaigns. She was a six-time All-American during her three collegiate seasons and later won gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 2005 FINA World Championships, becoming the only woman to win platform titles at each of the major world championships.

9 NCAA team Championships. Texas is the most successful women’s swimming and diving program in the first 15 years of NCAA swimmining placing in the top 2 at the NCAA tournament 12 times including 66 individual and 23 National relay titles.

Honda swimming

Awards 

Whitney Hedgepeth 

http://www.tsdhof.org/whitney-hedgepeth

Induction into the TSDHOF acceptance speech starts at the 3:10 mark in the link below

The Frank Erwin Award Was Established In 1975 By  Tex Robertson To Honor Outstanding Individual Achievement And Contribution To Longhorn Swimming And Diving. The First Recipient Was, Of Course, Frank Erwin. 

Frank Erwin Awards