Greg Hansen's top 10 boys swimmers in Tucson history
- Updated
Sahuaro's Doug Northway, an Olympic bronze medalist, tops the list.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Editorβs note: This summer, Star columnist Greg Hansen is counting down the top 10 of just about everything related to Tucson sports.
Todayβs list: the 10 best boys swimmers in Tucson history.
To appreciate the dimension of Tucson Highβs 1979 boys state swimming championship, consider this: the Badgers knocked off Phoenix Brophy Prep, one of the few true dynasties in Arizona prep sports.
Coach Jim Wandreyβs Badgers beat Brophy 253-243 by winning the dayβs final event. Brophy Prep has since won 36 of the last 37 big-schools state championships.
And although Catalina Foothills has won 13 boys state swimming championships, itβs unlikely any Tucson team ever had the talent to surpass Wandreyβs β79 Badgers.
Three seniors were offered scholarships by many of the NCAAβs top swimming schools: Eric Finical went to Texas, Bari Weick to Stanford and Bill Longton to Arizona State. All broke multiple state records.
βWe were filling out All-American applications during half of the meet,β Wandrey told the Star in 1979. βI had prepared a speech to say, βBrophy is awesome,β but I didnβt need to use it. Take away one performance and we would have lost.β
As it was, Tucson High won back-to-back-to-back boys state championships in 1977, 1978 and 1979. The group of Finical, Weick and Longton were point-scoring machines.
Wandrey, a 1960s UA swimmer who later became Tucson Highβs athletic director, bought T-shirts in 1978 that said β1977 and 1978 state champions.β
A year later, after the Badgers broke five state records, Wandrey ordered new T-shirts that said βState Champions 1977, 1978, 1979.β
It was the last time a Tucson team won the boys state swimming championship until 1989.
Hereβs our list of the Top 10 boys swimmers in Tucson. As always, thereβs little separation between all 10.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The 1972 Munich Olympics bronze medalist in the 1,500 freestyle, Northway led the Cougars to the β72 state championship and was chosen the Starβs 1972 athlete of the year.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
After enrolling at ASU for a year, Titus transferred to Arizona and became a 12-time All-American in the breaststroke and reached the finals of the Olympic Trials in 2008 and 2012. He is considered the leading deaf swimmer in American history.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
After breaking state records in the 50 and 100 freestyles, Finical became an All-American at Texas in 1981 and 1982.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The Ranger standout broke two state records in freestyle sprints. Davis then became a four-time All-American at SMU, the key part of a Mustangs team that finished in the NCAA top 10 three years in succession.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
After beginning his career at Michigan, DeBerry transferred to Arizona where he was a 13-time All-American, part of the 2006 national championship 800 freestyle relay team.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
A nine-time All-American at Arizona, part of a 2006 NCAA championship relay team, Rollins is now the head coach at Florida Gulf Coast University.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
A two-time All-American at Stanford who was one of Americaβs top Masters swimmers through the 1980s.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
After winning four state titles for the Lancers, Gaskins was a five-time All-American at Arizona, mostly as a relay swimmer.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Dull made his mark as coach of Chollaβs 1992 state basketball championship team, but he was Tucsonβs top prep swimmer of the 1960s, winning eight state championships for the Titans.Β
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The stateβs 2005 boys swimmer of the year was part of Mexicoβs World Championship team after becoming a regular at Arizona and a four-time state champion.
Editorβs note: This summer, Star columnist Greg Hansen is counting down the top 10 of just about everything related to Tucson sports.
Todayβs list: the 10 best boys swimmers in Tucson history.
To appreciate the dimension of Tucson Highβs 1979 boys state swimming championship, consider this: the Badgers knocked off Phoenix Brophy Prep, one of the few true dynasties in Arizona prep sports.
Coach Jim Wandreyβs Badgers beat Brophy 253-243 by winning the dayβs final event. Brophy Prep has since won 36 of the last 37 big-schools state championships.
And although Catalina Foothills has won 13 boys state swimming championships, itβs unlikely any Tucson team ever had the talent to surpass Wandreyβs β79 Badgers.
Three seniors were offered scholarships by many of the NCAAβs top swimming schools: Eric Finical went to Texas, Bari Weick to Stanford and Bill Longton to Arizona State. All broke multiple state records.
βWe were filling out All-American applications during half of the meet,β Wandrey told the Star in 1979. βI had prepared a speech to say, βBrophy is awesome,β but I didnβt need to use it. Take away one performance and we would have lost.β
As it was, Tucson High won back-to-back-to-back boys state championships in 1977, 1978 and 1979. The group of Finical, Weick and Longton were point-scoring machines.
Wandrey, a 1960s UA swimmer who later became Tucson Highβs athletic director, bought T-shirts in 1978 that said β1977 and 1978 state champions.β
A year later, after the Badgers broke five state records, Wandrey ordered new T-shirts that said βState Champions 1977, 1978, 1979.β
It was the last time a Tucson team won the boys state swimming championship until 1989.
Hereβs our list of the Top 10 boys swimmers in Tucson. As always, thereβs little separation between all 10.Β
The 1972 Munich Olympics bronze medalist in the 1,500 freestyle, Northway led the Cougars to the β72 state championship and was chosen the Starβs 1972 athlete of the year.Β
After enrolling at ASU for a year, Titus transferred to Arizona and became a 12-time All-American in the breaststroke and reached the finals of the Olympic Trials in 2008 and 2012. He is considered the leading deaf swimmer in American history.Β
After breaking state records in the 50 and 100 freestyles, Finical became an All-American at Texas in 1981 and 1982.Β
The Ranger standout broke two state records in freestyle sprints. Davis then became a four-time All-American at SMU, the key part of a Mustangs team that finished in the NCAA top 10 three years in succession.Β
After beginning his career at Michigan, DeBerry transferred to Arizona where he was a 13-time All-American, part of the 2006 national championship 800 freestyle relay team.Β
A nine-time All-American at Arizona, part of a 2006 NCAA championship relay team, Rollins is now the head coach at Florida Gulf Coast University.Β
A two-time All-American at Stanford who was one of Americaβs top Masters swimmers through the 1980s.Β
After winning four state titles for the Lancers, Gaskins was a five-time All-American at Arizona, mostly as a relay swimmer.Β
Dull made his mark as coach of Chollaβs 1992 state basketball championship team, but he was Tucsonβs top prep swimmer of the 1960s, winning eight state championships for the Titans.Β
The stateβs 2005 boys swimmer of the year was part of Mexicoβs World Championship team after becoming a regular at Arizona and a four-time state champion.
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