Powell, who retired after last season, ended his career as the second-winningest men’s swimming coach in NCAA history after posting a 330-74 dual-meet record. He also compiled a 95-16-1 mark with the women‘s swimming program. A nine-time Coach of the Year with both squads, Powell was named the 2001 and 2003 Sun Belt women’s Coach of the Year, and took the men‘s award in 2005 after guiding the Hilltoppers to the inaugural SBC championship. He also led the Lady Toppers all five Sun Belt swimming championships.
Crocker was the one-time 50 Free (short course) American record holder, and was an All-American in the 50 Free in 1985. He also ranked eighth in the world in the event that season. Crocker qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 50 Free and 100 Fly in 1984, and was named the Midwest Swimmer of the Year in his final two seasons on the Hill. He still holds the school record in the 50 Free, and is ranked second in WKU history in the 100 Free and third in the 100 Fly.
Carey was named the Lady Topper Most Valuable Swimmer each of her four seasons, and still holds seven school records (50 Free, 100 Free, 200 Free, 100 Back, 200 Back, 100 Fly and 200 IM) and eight individual Sun Belt records. As a senior, she earned honorable mention All-America honors in the 200 IM, and qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 100 Free and 100 Back. Carey was named the 2002 Sun Belt Swimmer of the Year, and captured five SBC individual championships in just two conference meets.
Including Crocker and Carey, the following are the 18 Western Kentucky athletes that were named to the All-Time Sun Belt Conference swimming and diving teams:
• Javon Atkinson won both the 50 and 100 Free at the 2005 Sun Belt Championships, while earning all-conference accolades in four other events. He also represented Jamaica in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.
• Ryan Crosby was the 100 Fly champion at the inaugural SBC Championship. He qualified for the 2004 United States Olympic Trials in the 100 Fly.
• Rich Kral qualified for the NCAA Championship in the 1-meter dive in both 1976 and 1978, and is the only Hilltopper to ever post more than 300 points in the event (315.65).
• Dan Powell was a three-time qualifier for the NCAA Championships, swimming the 50 Free in 1986, and the 50 and 100 Free in 1988. He was also named the Midwest Swimmer of the Year in 1986.
• Karl Swanson earned 2005 Sun Belt co-Outstanding Swimmer honors at the league championships, and shared Swimmer-of-the-Year accoladed at the 2004 Missouri Valley Conference championships.
• Gord Veldman ended his career ranked 24th in the world in the 50 Back, while qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the 100 Back in his final two seasons on the Hill.
• Kicker Vencill was an NCAA qualifier in the 100 Free his junior season. His school records in the 100 and 200 Free still stand.
• Chad Waits won the 200 Fly and was all-conference in the 100 Fly at the inaugural Sun Belt Championships in 2005. He also shared Missouri Valley Conference Swimmer-of-the-Year honors in 2004.
• Audrey Barnard is a three-time Sun Belt Conference champion, and has earned eight all-SBC honors in her first two seasons on the Hill.
• Jordan Beck has earned all-SBC accolades nine times in three seasons. She also holds the WKU record in the 200 Fly, and ranks in the top five all-time in the 100 Fly, 200 Back and 200 IM.
• Cassie Fahrlender won both the 100 and 200 Breast in her first Sun Belt Championships in 2005, and was part of the winning 200 Medley Relay team. As a freshman last season, she set school record in both the 100 and 200 Breast events.
• Marci Kiscir was named the 2002 Sun Belt Diver of the Year, and earned all-conference honors eight times in her career.
• Michelle Lynch was the SBC Diver of the Year in 2001 after wining both the 1-meter and 3-meter events.
• Sydney Mountford earned all-Sun Belt honors 13 times, including winning 10 league championships. She was also named the Sun Belt co-Swimmer of the Year in 2001.
• Trisha Mupfudze was a four-time all-conference honoree, winning the 1-meter diving event in both 2003 and 2005.
• Alexis Rieck earned all-Sun Belt honors 13-time and won seven conference championships in her four-year career. She also ranks in the top five all-time at WKU in four events.
