Nebraska Cornhuskers swimming and diving

The Nebraska Cornhuskers swimming and diving team competes as part of NCAA Division I, representing the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the Big Ten Conference. Nebraska has hosted meets at the Devaney Center Natatorium since its construction in 1976. The team has been coached by Pablo Morales since 2001.

Nebraska Cornhuskers swimming and diving
Founded	Men: 1921; 104 years ago (1921) Women: 1975; 50 years ago (1975)
University	University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Head coach	Pablo Morales (24th season)
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Location	Lincoln, Nebraska
Home pool	Devaney Center Natatorium
Nickname	Cornhuskers
Colors	Scarlet and cream[1]
Men's Conference Champions
1928, 1929, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994
Women's Conference Champions
1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998

Nebraska sponsored a men's program from 1921 until 2001. The program was discontinued by athletic director Bill Byrne due to budgetary concerns, though it may have been hastened by a scholarship manipulation investigation that resulted in the suspension and eventual resignation of longtime head coach Cal Bentz.^[2][3] Under Bentz, future Olympic gold medalists Penelope Heyns and Adam Pine won NU's first NCAA Division I individual championships. Since 2001, the university has sponsored only a women's team.

Conference affiliations

• Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association / Big Eight Conference (1921–1996)^[a]
• Big 12 Conference (1996–2011)
• Big Ten Conference (2011–present)^[5]

Coaches

Men's coaching history

No.	Coach	Tenure[b]	Overall[c]
1	F. W. Luehring	1921–1922
2	Frank Adkins	1922–1924
3	Frank Hunton	1924–1925
4	Rudolph Vogeler	1928–1933	4–10 (.286)
5	Kenneth Sutherland	1933–1934	4–1 (.800)
6	Jack Minor	1934–1937	13–3 (.813)
7	Richard Hagelin	1937–1941	14–12 (.538)
8	Thomas Leeke	1941–1942	1–7 (.125)
9	Ed Higginbotham	1945–1946	1–3 (.250)
10	Hollie Lepley	1946–1952, 1953–1959	53–62–4 (.462)
11	Warren Emery	1952–1953	2–5 (.286)
12	Dick Klaas	1959–1961, 1963–1966	29–31 (.483)
13	John Reta	1966–1978	30–67 (.309)
14	Cal Bentz	1961–1963,[d] 1978–2000	169–90 (.653)
	Paul Nelsen	2000–2001[e]	6–4 (.600)

Women's coaching history

No.	Coach	Tenure	Overall
1	Pat Sullivan	1975–1976	7–0 (1.000)
2	Ray Huppert	1976–1992	116–56 (.674)
3	Cal Bentz	1992–2000	44–22 (.667)
	Paul Nelsen	2000–2001[e]	7–4 (.636)
4	Pablo Morales	2001–present	121–67–1 (.643)

Coaching staff

Name	Position	First year	Alma mater
Pablo Morales	Head coach	2001	Stanford
Patrick Rowan	Associate head coach	2012	Eastern Michigan
Landon Marzullo	Head diving coach	2021	Florida State

Venues

Nebraska has hosted meets at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Natatorium since the facility was constructed in 1976.^[7] The venue hosted several Big Eight and Big 12 conference meets in the decades following its construction, but more recently has been criticized as out-of-date.^[8] Its pool is undersized at just twenty-five yards and is considered among the worst in the Big Ten.^[9]

Championships and awards

Team conference championships

Men's

• MVIAA / Big Eight:^[a] 1928, 1929, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994

Women's

• Big Eight: 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996
• Big 12: 1997, 1998

NCAA champions

• Penelope Heyns – 1996 (100-yard breaststroke)
• Adam Pine – 2000 (100-yard butterfly)

Men's All-Americans

Sixty-three Nebraska men's swimmers and divers earned a total of 226 All-America honors.

• Richard Hagelin – 1935 (1 event)
• Marvin Grimm – 1947 (2 events)
• Ed Craren – 1950 (2 events), 1951 (2 events)
• Dave Frank – 1966 (1 event)
• Rich Gordon – 1966 (1 event)
• Keefe Lodwig – 1966 (3 events)
• Tom Nickerson – 1966 (1 event)
• Steve Sorensen – 1966 (1 event)
• David Keane – 1981 (1 event)
• Cliff Looschen – 1982 (1 event), 1983 (2 events)
• Tim Brinner – 1983 (1 event), 1986 (1 event)
• Dave Goodwin – 1983 (1 event)
• Jim Korff – 1983 (1 event)
• Earl Welliver – 1983 (1 event)
• Reynaldo Castro – 1984 (1 event)
• Doug Hubner – 1986 (1 event), 1987 (1 event)
• Ed Jowdy – 1986 (1 event), 1988 (1 event)
• Dan Novinski – 1986 (1 event), 1987 (1 event), 1988 (2 events), 1989 (3 events)
• Ed Ognibene – 1986 (2 events), 1988 (1 event)
• Sean Frampton – 1987 (1 event), 1988 (2 event), 1989 (1 event), 1990 (2 event)
• Mike Irvin – 1987 (3 events), 1988 (4 event), 1989 (3 events)
• Kollin Kostboth – 1987 (1 event)
• Wes Zimmerman – 1987 (1 event)
• Ryan Bell – 1988 (1 event), 1989 (2 events), 1990 (2 events), 1991 (1 event)
• Rick Havekost – 1988 (1 event), 1989 (1 event)
• Lewis Meyers – 1988 (2 events), 1989 (3 events)
• Ed Rief – 1988 (1 event)
• Lawrence Roddick – 1988 (3 events), 1989 (2 events)
• Peter Williams – 1988 (4 events), 1989 (5 events), 1990 (5 events)
• Bob Fitzpatrick – 1989 (1 event), 1990 (1 event)
• Mark Nieuwenhuis – 1989 (2 events)
• Jan Bidrman – 1990 (3 events)
• Seddon Keyter – 1990 (3 events), 1991 (1 event)
• Nate Kinney – 1990 (1 event), 1991 (1 event)
• Rhett Talbert – 1990 (2 events)
• Jan Karlsson – 1991 (1 event)
• Jonathan Kerr – 1991 (1 event), 1994 (1 event)
• William Campbell – 1992 (2 events)
• Kevin McMahon – 1992 (1 event), 1993 (1 event)
• Gary Albertyn – 1993 (1 event)
• Francois Boshoff – 1993 (2 events), 1995 (2 events), 1996 (2 events)
• Justin Finney – 1993 (2 events)
• Allan Kelsey – 1993 (4 events)
• Laren Tiltmann – 1993 (1 event)
• Juan Benavides – 1995 (2 events), 1996 (3 events), 1997 (4 events)
• Rodney Johnston – 1995 (2 events)
• Alex Schleifman – 1995 (2 events), 1996 (2 events), 1997 (1 event), 1998 (2 events)
• Mark Bennett – 1996 (2 events), 1997 (3 events), 1998 (4 events)
• Adrian Costello – 1996 (1 event)
• Josh Mathias – 1996 (1 event), 1997 (2 events), 1999 (3 events)
• Travis Niemeyer – 1996 (2 events)
• Danny Bergman – 1997 (2 events), 1998 (2 events), 1999 (2 events)
• David Foster – 1997 (1 event), 1998 (3 events), 1999 (2 events)
• Valērijs Kalmikovs – 1997 (1 event), 1998 (2 events), 1999 (3 events), 2000 (1 event)
• Adam Pine – 1997 (5 events), 1998 (5 events), 1999 (5 events), 2000 (4 events)
• Keith Ebbert – 1998 (1 event)
• Bert Locklin – 1998 (1 event)
• Michael Windisch – 1998 (2 events), 1999 (3 events), 2000 (3 events)
• Javier Botello – 1999 (2 events), 2000 (3 events)
• Erik Castro – 1999 (2 events), 2000 (1 event)
• Anthony Rogis – 1999 (4 events), 2000 (3 events)
• Peter Fry – 2000 (2 events)
• Erik Wiken – 2000 (1 event)

Women's All-Americans

Sixty-four Nebraska women's swimmers and divers have earned a total of 254 All-America honors.

• Sherri Hayward – 1980 (1 event), 1981 (1 event), 1982 (2 events)
• Shauna Gilmore – 1985 (3 events), 1986 (1 event), 1987 (4 events)
• Cindy Hampel – 1985 (2 events), 1986 (1 event)
• Erin Hurley – 1985 (4 events), 1986 (1 event), 1987 (3 events), 1988 (1 event)
• Kenya Kelly – 1985 (2 events)
• Dana Powers – 1985 (5 events), 1986 (1 event), 1987 (4 events)
• Emily Ricketts – 1985 (4 events)
• Linda Sebesta – 1985 (3 events)
• Penny Stanek – 1985 (2 events)
• Lorie Kappenman – 1986 (1 event), 1987 (1 event)
• Heidi Hecker – 1987 (1 event)
• Carole Johnson – 1987 (3 events), 1988 (1 event), 1989 (1 event)
• Amy Aarsen – 1988 (1 event), 1990 (1 event), 1991 (1 event)
• Allison Barker – 1988 (1 event)
• Mindy Matheny – 1988 (1 event), 1989 (1 event), 1991 (1 event)
• Jenell Garcia – 1989 (1 event), 1990 (1 event), 1991 (1 event)
• Julie May – 1989 (1 event)
• Kristen Neuenfeldt – 1989 (1 event)
• Lynne Braddock – 1991 (1 event)
• Christine Frederick – 1991 (1 event), 1993 (2 events)
• Chris Gmeiner – 1991 (1 event)
• Melanie Wirtner – 1991 (1 event)
• Michelle Butcher – 1992 (1 event)
• Melanie Dodd – 1993 (5 events), 1995 (6 events), 1996 (4 events)
• Jane Glazebrook – 1993 (2 events), 1994 (2 events), 1995 (3 events)
• Penelope Heyns – 1993 (2 events), 1994 (5 events), 1995 (4 events), 1996 (4 events)
• Marci Bodner – 1994 (1 event)
• Heather Ericksen – 1994 (3 events)
• Katie Lullen – 1994 (1 event)
• Lezelle Markgraaff – 1994 (1 event)
• Heather Park – 1994 (1 event), 1995 (1 event), 1996 (1 event)
• Julia Russell – 1994 (4 events), 1995 (2 events), 1996 (7 events), 1997 (5 events)
• Brianna Wilkins – 1994 (1 event), 1995 (1 event), 1996 (1 event), 1997 (1 event)
• Erin Carew – 1995 (2 events), 1996 (2 events)
• Cathy Crooks – 1995 (3 events)
• Destiny Lauren – 1995 (3 events), 1996 (3 events), 1998 (1 event), 1999 (1 event)
• Janet Danburg – 1996 (2 events), 1997 (1 event)
• Mandy Hunter-Beckinsall – 1996 (2 events)
• Shannon Wright – 1996 (1 event), 1997 (1 event)
• Sara Jowsey – 1997 (1 event)
• Sara Kate Havens – 1997 (1 event)
• Beth Karaica – 1997 (4 events), 1998 (3 events), 1999 (2 events)
• Lenka Manhalova – 1997 (1 event), 1998 (1 event)
• Terrie Miller – 1997 (1 event), 1998 (1 event), 1999 (1 event)
• Helene Muller – 1997 (4 events), 1998 (5 events), 1999 (3 events), 2000 (3 events)
• Stacey Sedlacek – 1997 (1 event), 1999 (2 events)
• Lauren Simon – 1997 (1 event)
• Anna Windsor – 1997 (5 events), 1998 (5 events)
• Therese Alshammar – 1998 (7 events), 1999 (6 events)
• Shandra Johnson – 1998 (1 event), 1999 (5 events), 2000 (3 events)
• Emma Johnson – 1999 (2 events)
• Elvira Fischer – 2000 (1 event), 2001 (2 events)
• Lindsey Highstrom – 2000 (1 event)
• Sasha Pine – 2000 (1 event)
• Carmen Cosgrove – 2001 (1 event)
• Rebecca Wolfe – 2001 (1 event)
• Lauren Bailey – 2006 (1 event)
• Anna Filipcic – 2016 (1 event)
• Abi Knapton – 2017 (1 event), 2018 (1 event), 2019 (2 events), 2021 (2 events)
• Audrey Coffey – 2020 (1 event)
• Madison Coughlen – 2020 (1 event)
• Autumn Haebig – 2020 (1 event), 2021 (2 events)
• Sara Troyer – 2020 (2 events)
• Gena Jorgenson – 2024 (1 event)

Women's seasons

Conference tournament champion

Year	Coach	Overall	Conference tournament	Postseason[f]
Big Eight Conference (1976–1996)
1975–76	Pat Sullivan	7–0	2nd
1976–77	Ray Huppert	5–2	2nd
1977–78		5–1	3rd
1978–79		5–2	3rd
1979–80		6–6	3rd
1980–81		3–9	5th
1981–82		6–5	2nd	NCAA Division I T–20th
1982–83		8–3	2nd
1983–84		10–4	2nd
1984–85		8–2	1st	NCAA Division I 9th
1985–86		10–2	1st	NCAA Division I 30th
1986–87		11–2	1st	NCAA Division I 19th
1987–88		7–2	2nd	NCAA Division I 39th
1988–89		6–7	2nd	NCAA Division I 29th
1989–90		11–3	1st	NCAA Division I 39th
1990–91		7–3	1st	NCAA Division I 28th
1991–92		8–3	2nd	NCAA Division I 31st
1992–93	Cal Bentz	6–2	2nd	NCAA Division I 20th
1993–94		7–1	1st	NCAA Division I 16th
1994–95		4–3	1st	NCAA Division I 9th
1995–96		5–3	1st	NCAA Division I 10th
Big 12 Conference (1996–2011)
1996–97	Cal Bentz	6–2	1st	NCAA Division I 8th
1997–98		7–0	1st	NCAA Division I 11th
1998–99		7–3	2nd	NCAA Division I 12th
1999–00		2–8	3rd	NCAA Division I 20th
2000–01	Paul Nelsen	7–4	3rd	NCAA Division I 23rd
2001–02	Pablo Morales	0–3	6th
2002–03		3–8	6th
2003–04		7–2	4th
2004–05		8–1	3rd
2005–06		7–2	4th	NCAA Division I 36th
2006–07		7–6	5th
2007–08		7–2	6th
2008–09		3–4	6th
2009–10		4–4	6th
2010–11		6–4	5th
Big Ten Conference (2011–present)
2011–12	Pablo Morales	3–2	11th
2012–13		12–3	9th
2013–14		4–2–1	9th
2014–15		4–6	9th
2015–16		5–3	9th	NCAA Division I 39th
2016–17		6–0	10th	NCAA Division I 33rd
2017–18		4–3	10th	NCAA Division I 35th
2018–19		5–1	8th	NCAA Division I 33rd
2019–20		5–2	10th	NCAA Division I[g]
2020–21		1–3	7th	NCAA Division I 26th
2021–22		7–1	9th
2022–23		6–3	10th
2023–24		7–2	8th	NCAA Division I 30th

^[5]

Olympians

Penelope Heyns is the only Nebraska athlete to win multiple Olympic gold medals

Twenty-five Nebraska swimmers and divers have combined to compete or coach in forty-five Olympiads. South African swimmer Penelope Heyns – the only Cornhusker in any sport with multiple gold medals – is the only woman to ever win the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke events at the same Olympic Games.^[10]

Olympiad	City	Athlete[10]	Country	Medal(s)
1976 (XXI)	Montreal	John Ebito	Nigeria[h]
		Bengt Jönsson	Sweden
1980 (XXII)	Moscow	Reynaldo Castro	Dominican Republic
		John Ebito	Nigeria
1984 (XXIII)	Los Angeles	Reynaldo Castro	Dominican Republic
1988 (XXIV)	Seoul	Wendy Lucero	United States
1992 (XXV)	Barcelona	Jan Bidrman	Sweden
		Roberto Bonilla	Guatemala
		Penelope Heyns	South Africa
		Seddon Keyter
		Peter Williams
		Anja Margetić	Independent
1996 (XXVI)	Atlanta	Therese Alshammar	Sweden
		Juan Benavides	Spain
		Roberto Bonilla	Guatemala
		Penelope Heyns	South Africa	100 m breaststroke 200 m breaststroke
		Helene Muller
		Julia Russell
		Jan Bidrman (coach)
		José Isaza	Panama
		Emma Johnson	Australia	4 x 200 m freestyle relay
		Anna Windsor
		Valērijs Kalmikovs	Latvia
		Lenka Maňhalová	Czech Republic
		Terrie Miller	Norway
2000 (XXVII)	Sydney	Therese Alshammar	Sweden	50 m freestyle 100 m freestyle 4 x 100 m freestyle relay
		Juan Benavides	Spain
		Javier Botello
		Elvira Fischer	Austria
		Michael Windisch
		Penelope Heyns	South Africa	100 m breaststroke
		Helene Muller
		Valērijs Kalmikovs	Latvia
		Adam Pine	Australia	4 x 100 m freestyle relay 4 x 100 m medley relay
		Jan Bidrman (coach)	Canada
2004 (XXVIII)	Athens	Therese Alshammar	Sweden
		Adam Pine	Australia
		Jan Bidrman (coach)	Canada
2008 (XXIX)	Beijing	Therese Alshammar	Sweden
		Adam Pine	Australia	4 x 100 m medley relay
		Jan Bidrman (coach)	Canada
2012 (XXX)	London	Therese Alshammar	Sweden
		Jan Bidrman (coach)	Canada
2016 (XXXI)	Rio de Janeiro	Therese Alshammar	Sweden
2020 (XXXII)	Tokyo	Beatriz Padron	Costa Rica

Notes

1. In 1928, the ten member schools of the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association agreed to a splintering of the conference – Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma retained the MVIAA name and Drake, Grinnell, Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State), and Washington University formed the Missouri Valley Conference. The MVIAA became commonly known as the Big Six, and later the Big Seven and Big Eight. Its name was officially changed to the Big Eight in 1964.^[4]
2. Nebraska competed from 1925–26 to 1927–28 without a head coach, and did not field a team from 1942–43 to 1944–45 due to World War II.^[6]
3. Year-by-year men's results unavailable prior to 1928–29.
4. Cal Bentz served as interim head coach during the 1961–62 and 1962–63 seasons.
5. Paul Nelsen served as interim head coach during the 2000–01 season.^[3]
6. The first NCAA Division I championship was held in 1982.
7. Four Nebraska athletes qualified for the 2020 NCAA Division I Championship before it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
8. Nigeria boycotted the 1976 Summer Olympics.