Justin Casterline/klcfotos
Ryan Murphy was one of six Cal swimmers including among the CSCAA's Greatest Men’s Swimmers and Divers of the past century.
MSWIM11/9/2021 8:00 AM | By: Cal Athletics
Among The Greatest
Six Golden Bears Named Among CSCAA’s Greatest Men’s Swimmers & Divers
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Six California men's swimming & diving alumni were named among the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association's (CSCAA) 100 Greatest Men's Swimmers and Divers of the past century on Tuesday morning.
Â
All six Golden Bears who earned the honor were swimmers, including Nathan Adrian, Matt Biondi, Anthony Ervin, Ryan Murphy, Graham Smith and Tom Shields. A blue-ribbon panel of current and former college swimmers, coaches and members of the media selected the 100 swimmers and divers from a list of 973 finalists and a pool of nearly 3,000 nominated athletes. The selections were made as part of the CSCAA's 100th year.
Â
The full list of CSCAA100 greatest college swimmers and divers can be viewed at www.cscaa.org/cscaa100.
Â
Nathan Adrian – Bremerton, Wash.
One of the swimming world's most prolific sprinters in recent history, Nathan Adrian is an eight-time Olympic medalist, including five golds, and has won 32 medals in major international competition. He led Cal to the 2011 NCAA team championship and was a five-time NCAA individual champion. Adrian was named the 2011 CSCAA Swimmer of the Year and was a two-time Pac-10 Swimmer of the Year in 2009 and 2011 and a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2010 and 2011.
Â
Matt Biondi – Moraga, Calif.
One of the greatest freestyle swimmers in American history, Matt Biondi has 11 Olympic medals to his credit. He won 12 NCAA and 14 Pac-10 titles during his collegiate career at Cal, while he set 12 world records, including being the first man to swim a sub-49-second time in the 100 free. At the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Biondi won seven medals (including five gold). He was named the U.S. Olympic Committee Sportsman of the Year in 1986 and 1988.
Â
Anthony Ervin – Valencia, Calif.
Anthony Ervin was a three-time NCAA champion in the 100-yard freestyle (2000-02) and voted the Pac-10 Swimmer of the Year in 2002. He also claimed NCAA event titles in the 50 free and on the 400 medley relay as a freshman in 2000 and on the 400 free relay as a junior. Ervin is a four-time Olympic medalist and in 2016 became the oldest individual Olympic gold-medal winner in swimming when he won the 50-meter free.
Â
Ryan Murphy – Ponte Vedra, Fla.
Ryan Murphy is a two-time Olympian and six-time medalist, including gold in both the 100 back and 200 back in 2016, and he has won nine medals at the World Championships. An 11-time NCAA champion, he swept the 100 band 200 back during all four of his seasons at Cal. The three-time Pac-12 Swimmer of the Year was named a first-team Academic All-American and the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year for men's swimming as a senior in 2017.
Â
Graham Smith – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
A former world record holder in the 200 individual medley who was also one of the world's best in the breaststroke, Graham Smith helped Cal to its first NCAA title in 1979 and returned the next year to lead the Bears to another national crown in 1980. A former world record holder in the 200 IM, he earned eight NCAA individual titles and was on the Canadian Olympic team in 1976 that earned a silver medal in the medley relay.
Â
Tom Shields – Huntington Beach, Calif.
A two-time Olympian and relay gold medalist, Tom Shields was a seven-time NCAA champion at Cal, winning titles in the 100 fly, 200 fly and 100 back, as well as on several Cal relay teams. An 11-time U.S. National Team member, he also has a gold medal in the 400 medley relay from the 2015 World Championships.
Â
Founded in 1922, the CSCAA is the nation's first organization of college coaches. The mission of the CSCAA is to advance the sport of swimming and diving with coaches at the epicenter of leadership, advocacy, and professional development. The CSCAA's 100th birthday celebration will continue with upcoming announcements recognizing Centennial MVP's for each team along with a listing of the 100 Greatest Coaches, 100 Alumni of Impact. The anniversary will culminate with the Association's convention and awards banquet, May 2-4, 2022 in Rosemont, Illinois.
Â
STAY POSTED
For complete coverage of Cal men's swimming and diving, please follow the Bears on Twitter (
@CalMenSwim), Instagram (
@CalMenSwim) and Facebook (
Facebook.com/CalMensSwimmingandDiving).
Â