Forging ahead
With a much larger roster compared to recent seasons bolstered by an influx of talented youngsters, the Towson Men's Swimming & Diving program is on the rise.
With head coach Pat Mead’s recruiting acumen, the Tigers have established a new standard for the men’s team. In 2011-12, the Tigers set six freshman records and three school records, while earning their most wins in a dual meet season (three) since 2006-07.
Krause breaks through
One of the greatest male swimmers to ever compete for the Tigers, Aaron Krause, qualified for the NCAA Championships during his junior and senior seasons in 2003 and 2004.As a junior, Krause (right) qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 100-yard and 200-yard backstroke after winning the CAA title in both events. During his senior season, the Linthicum, Md. native earned a spot in the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard freestyle events at the NCAA Championships.
In his career, Krause won nine individual CAA titles, was part of four CAA champion relay teams, was named the Most Outstanding Performer at the CAA Championships twice and was named CAA Swimmer of the Year twice. He was honored as Towson University’s Male Athlete of the Year as a junior and senior.
Adkins' Academic Prowess
In 2002, David Adkins became the first Tiger swimmer to earn Academic All-America® honors when he was selected to the second team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).One of the Tiger co-captains as a senior, Adkins was a very versatile swimmer throughout his career. As a senior, he helped the Tigers finish fifth in their first Colonial Athletic Association championship meet and finished 11th in the 400-yard individual medley.
Honored as the 2001 America East Scholar-Athlete of the Year for Swimming & Diving, Adkins helped Towson finish second at the America East Championships and was the league’s runner-up in the 200-yard backstroke. He also finished sixth in the 200-yard butterfly.
One of the most honored scholar-athletes in Towson University history, he was a charter member of Pi Sigma Alpha, a political science honors society. Adkins also was honored as a recipient of an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship and won the James Saxon Memorial Scholarship.
A native of Germantown, Md., Adkins was a Political Science major with a 3.96 grade point average.
The Streak
Under the direction of Hall of Fame Head Coach Ray Riordon, the Tigers won 29 consecutive dual meets over a three-year span in the early 80s. The streak also included a pair of undefeated seasons.In 1980-81, the Tigers posted a perfect 13-0 record before claiming a 12-0 dual meet record in addition to the Tri-State Conference Championship in 1981-82.
