Mike Simpson came to Gardner-Webb University in 1999 intent onbuilding a competitive swim team from scratch and he has done justthat with the women’s program and is looking to do the samewith a men’s program that was started in 2007-08. Inthe eleven seasons since the women’s program’sinception, Simpson’s teams won four consecutive NortheastConference Championships from 2003-2007. The four-time NECCoach of the Year recipient has produced 96 all-conferenceselections - 65 women and 31 men, been rated as high as 14th and30th in the nation, won an NCAA individual national championshipand have had the highest ranked team GPA in the nation on multipleoccasions.
The 2012-13 campaign would represent a season of firsts forSimpson and Gardner-Webb’s men’s swimming program. TheRunnin’ Bulldog men, for the first time in program history,recorded a first place finish in a relay event at CCSAChampionships, winning the 200 medley relay behind a school recordperformance from Colin James, Drew Ellwanger, Matt Anderson, andCole Hickey to spark a third place team finish at the meet.Gardner-Webb’s women’s swim team finished in fifthplace at the Conference Championship meet, highlighted by anAll-Conference performance from the 200 medley relay quartetLaurenn Singleton, Charity Byrum, Mary O’Doherty, and GiorgieGraves.
In 2011-12, Coach Simpson guided the Runnin’ Bulldogsmen’s and women’s swim teams to a pair of Top 5conference finishes once again, with the men taking third place andthe women placing fourth at 2012 CCSA Championships. As he hasthroughout his tenure at Gardner-Webb, Coach Simpson led a teamthat was successful both in the pool and in the classroom. FourteenGWU swimmers earned All-CCSA honors, nine new men’s swimmingrecords were set, and two Runnin’ Bulldogs won CCSAchampionships (Drew Ellwanger, 100 breast, and CJay Wiley, 400 IM)in 2011-12. Additionally, standout Charity Byrum earned CSCAAHonorable Mention All-Academic for her impressive freshman season.Thirty-nine GWU swimmers earned 2012 CCSA All-Academic Teamdesignation.
During the 2010-11 season, Gardner-Webb swimming continued tomake strides under Simpson’s direction, setting multipleprogram firsts. On the men’s side, the Runnin’ Bulldogsknocked off CCSA rival Davidson in a dual meet for the first timein program history, winning the meet-closing 400 free relay toclinch a 138-124 win over the Wildcats in Boiling Springs. TheGardner-Webb men also achieved their highest-ever finish at CCSAConference Championships, finishing 2nd as a team. On thewomen’s side, GWU captured 3rd place as a team, gettingAll-Conference performances from Sarah Steadman, Kim Zachensky,Lizzy Ketterer, and Elizabeth Charter, with Zachensky (200 breast)winning an individual title. Casey Brutus (men’s 100 breast)and Steven Caudill (200 fly) also won individual events at theConference Championship meet for the Runnin’ Bulldogs.
The 2009-10 campaign was another successful season for bothprograms, as the men's team finished in second-place and thewomen's team finished third at the CCSA Championships. Overall, the men's squad finished with a record of 6-2, while thewomen finished with a 8-3 overall record. The men's team had11 student-athletes to recieve all-conference honors and thewomen's team had 10 student-athletes to recieve recognition, givingthem a total of 21 on the season.
Once again, the effort that the Bulldogs exhibit in theclassroom was nationally recognized, as the women's team finishedthe 2009 fall semester with a grade point average of 3.52, whichwas the best among all NCAA Division I women's swimming programsaccording to the Collegiate Swim Coaches Association of America(CSCAA), marking the third time that the team topped thislist. The men's program had cumulative GPA of 3.26, rankingsixth in the nation.
In 2008-09 again both squads had a strong season as themen’s team finished in third-place and the women’s teamfinished fourth at the CCSA Championships. The men finishedthe season with a 4-4 dual meet record, while the women finishedwith an 8-2 head-to-head record. Each team had sevenstudent-athletes receive all-conference recognition, giving them 14total on the season.
Again the Bulldogs hard work in the classroom was rewarded, as thewomen’s team completed the 2008 fall semester with a gradepoint average of 3.62 which was the top in the nation among allNCAA Division I women’s swimming programs according to theCSCAA. The men’s team was also top dog, as the menranked first in the nation as well with a 3.33 GPA, just .01 of apoint ahead of Georgetown University. In the spring semester,the GWU women’s swim program ranked third on the listnationally behind Rice and Cincinnati with a 3.55 cumulativeGPA. The men finished 16th overall, tallying a 3.23cumulative GPA.
“Once again our swimmers have done a tremendous job in theclassroom,” said Head Swim Coach Mike Simpson. “This is a tribute to their discipline, hard work, anddedication to being true student-athletes. We are very proudof our team for their great year both in academics and in thepool.”
However, 2008-09 was also a year of firsts for the Bulldogs, asGWU swimmers Mallory Weggemann and Tucker Dupree combined for 13gold medals and 13 national titles in the 2009 Spring Can-AmSwimming Championships in Gresham, Oregon on March 19-21. Theevent marked the first major swimming competition since the 2008Paralympic Games in Beijing, hosting some of the world’s topswimmers from the United States, Canada, and Columbia.
Gardner-Webb newcomer Weggemann, who has been swimming for theParalympics for less than year, shattered six American and PanAmerican records in her first official swim competition at theCan-Am Championships. In doing so, the U.S. ParalympicWomen’s Swimming National Team added her to their roster,making her the 39th swimmer on the team. Her record-breakingswim in the 400 freestyle officially made Weggemann the newestmember of the National Team. The Gardner-Webb freshman lowered themark by more than 21 seconds, finishing in a time of 5:27.66. Weggemann also set new national records in the 200 freestyle, 100freestyle, 50 freestyle, 100 back, and 100 fly.
Also competing was fellow Bulldog Dupree, a freshman atGardner-Webb, who also had a stellar performance at the Can-AmChampionships, winning seven gold medals and claiming sevennational titles. Dupree recorded wins in the 50 back, 100back, 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 100 fly, and 200Individual Medley.
The 2007-2008 campaign could best be defined as a new atmospherefor Simpson. He guided the first-year men’s swimming programto a third-place finish in the newly formed CCSA. The women’sprogram also took third in the first-year league after departingfrom the NEC. Simpson led the women’s team to two conferencetitles while the men’s program boasted its first-everindividual title winner.
With some of the most talented student-athletes in his tenureduring the 2006-2007 season, Simpson guided his squad to its fourthconsecutive NEC conference title while garnering his fourthstraight NEC Coach of the Year award. Terra Wilson, who was namedMost Outstanding Swimmer of the NEC meet, led a group of 10 thatreceived all-conference honors. There, the Bulldogs set five NECand school over the three-day meet.
Wilson, who qualified for the NCAA Championships in two events,took home All-America honors in the 200 free after touching thewall in 1:45.40, finishing sixth. In the 100 free, her time of49.03 earned honorable mention All-America honors by placing 12th.She ended her career by being named to the Mid-Major All-AmericaTeam for the second consecutive season.
Outside the pool Simpson’s team’s credentials are justas impressive. In 2007, 11 student-athletes earned a spot on theNEC academic honor roll. The College Swimming Coaches Associationof America tabbed the squad as an Academic All-American Team forthe 2006 fall semester as the Bulldogs’ GPA of 3.419 placedthem 10th nationally among all Division I women’s swimmingprograms. The honor marked the ninth consecutive semester in whichthe team had been ranked in the top-10 nationally.
In 2005-2006, the Sarasota, Fla., native guided the Bulldogs to asuperb 12-3 record en route to capturing their third straight NECconference championship. The Bulldogs came back from a day-onedeficit to take the championships by more than 100 points. GWU hadnine student-athletes named to the all-conference team while onceagain for the third straight year Simpson was named the NEC’sCoach of the Year. For the second straight season, the Bulldogs woneight overall conference titles, as Wilson won the 100 free and 200free, Taylor Simpson took first in the 200 IM and 200 breast,Whitney Hooley nabbed first in 100 back and Heather Roka won the1650 free. Gardner-Webb also won two relay titles, with its 400 and800 free relay units touching the wall first.
Wilson became the first-ever swimmer to compete at the NCAAChampionships in GWU’s Division I history. She earnedhonorable mention All-America honors in the 200 free and had a timegood enough to make her an Olympic trial qualifier in the 100 freeat the summer USS Nationals.
Once again, the Lady Bulldogs excelled outside the pool in2005-06, as GWU placed 14 student-athletes on the NEC AcademicHonor Roll. For the second consecutive year Simpson was named theNEC Scholar Athlete for the sport of women’s swimming, andwas honored by the ESPN The Magazine as a member of the AcademicAll-America Women’s At-Large first team and the All-DistrictWomen’s At-Large Team. The College Swim Coaches of AmericaAssociation honored the Lady Bulldogs’ team by naming them asan Academic All-America Team. The Bulldogs finished fourth in thenation among all Division I Women’s Swimming programs.
The Bulldogs had perhaps their best season ever in 2004-05 as theyturned in a 15-2 record and won their second conferencechampionship in as many years. In only their second season as anassociate member of the Northeast Conference, Gardner-Webb led theNEC Championships from day one, and saw nine student-athletes namedall-conference in 2003-04. Simpson was named the NEC’s Coachof the Year for the second consecutive year. GWU won eightconference titles along the way, with Wilson winning the 100 freeand 200 free, Simpson winning the 200 IM and 400 IM, and Rokawinning the 500 free. Gardner-Webb also won a trio of relay titles,with its 200, 400, and 800 free relay squads taking conferencecrowns. As has become customary, Simpson’s team was alsodominant in the classroom, as nine student-athletes earned spots onthe NEC Academic Honor Roll. Simpson, with senior standing in theclassroom, was named the NEC Scholar Athlete for the sport ofwomen’s swimming, and the team as a whole was first in thenation in GPA among all Academic All-America teams named by theCollege Swimming Coaches Association of America.
The 2003-04 squad posted a 10-4 record on the season and won theNEC Conference Championship in its first season in the league,while the 2002-03 squad posted 12 wins to match which at the timewas the school record for single-season victories, and turned in asecond-place finish at the Southern States Conference Championshipsin its final season of competition in the league. Gardner-Webb hadfive student-athletes earn all-conference accolades and set aschool record for academic all-conference performers with anastonishing 17. Cheryl Horne and Simpson each won individualconference titles, with Horne taking both the 50 free and 100 freeand Simpson claiming the 400 IM.
In 2001-02, Simpson guided Gardner-Webb to a 12-5 record and athird-place finish at the Southern States Conference meet. Horneagain took home all-conference honors, and was joined by first-timehonorees Hamilton and Chester. The Lady Bulldogs improveddramatically on the previous year’s showing at the ECAC meet,coming in 11th and placing eight members on the All-ECAC squad.Five relay squads earned the distinction, while Chester, Hamilton,Horne and Smith all took individual honors. The 2001-02 squad alsoexcelled in the classroom, earning CSCAA Academic All-American teamhonors.
Gardner-Webb made the jump to Division I athletics in 2000-01, butSimpson’s squad was up to the challenge. The Lady Bulldogscame in fourth at the Southern States Conference meet in 2000-01,again getting an all-conference year from Horne. In its first yearof competition at the Eastern College Athletic Conference meet, GWUplaced 19th and had seven swimmers named All-ECAC. Katie Alford,Megan Campbell, Sarah Fair and Horne all garnered the honor for the800 freestyle relay, while Hamilton, Smith and Becky Henninger weretabbed for individual events.
In the team’s first year of existence, 1999-2000, the rookiecoach took a squad of only four girls and turned in a 9-1 recordfor a stellar inaugural year. Gardner-Webb came in eighth at theSouthern States Conference meet and had freshmen Melissa Smith andHorne named to the all-conference squad. At the NCAA Division IIChampionships in Buffalo, N.Y., the Lady Bulldogs placed 14th outof 29 teams, highlighted by Smith claiming the nationalchampionship in the 1650 free. The freshman’s winning time of17:05.75 brought the program its first NCAA title just months afterits inception.
Simpson earned his stripes at the club and high school levelsbefore moving to GWU for his first collegiate head-coaching job.Prior to his arrival, he coached the swim team at Venice HighSchool. There, he guided Venice to its first-ever district titleand produced a high school All-American and several all-statehonorees.
Before his stint at Venice High School, Simpson was making a namefor himself on the club circuit, coaching nationally ranked teamsin Ohio, Illinois and Florida. His Sarasota team took four statechampionships and placed second at the YMCA National Championships.Simpson’s 1985 Jolliet, Ill., squad also took second at theYMCA National Championships, taking home 13 individual nationaltitles. That team turned out five senior national finalists andthree Olympic trial qualifiers, in addition to setting sevennational records.
A 1980 graduate of Florida State University, Simpson transferredthere from the University of Houston prior to his senior year. Aswimmer at Houston, Simpson qualified for the NCAA Division Inationals his sophomore year.
Simpson, resides in Boiling Springs with his wife, Kathi. TheSimpsons have four children – Taylor (27), Saxon (22), Logan(21), and Garrett (15), and one grandson, Mason Liam Jackson, bornMay 2010.
