From the Archives

MMA Swimming

The 1980s and early ’90s were historic years for MMA swimming.

The groundbreaking for the MMA Natatorium was in 1980. That same year, Jim Calhoun ’80 set four new school swim records, adding to the four he set in 1979. Calhoun still holds eight school records. The undefeated 1982 Swim Colonels had the best season of all MMA sports that year with a record of 8-0.

The following year, the team earned its second consecutive white letter sweater, the MMA symbol of a perfect year. The medley relay team of Pat Rozman ’84, Luis Montiel ’84, Paul Kispert ’85 and Chet Plegge ’86 set a new school record. “Shaving made the difference,” Rozman said after the record was set. They shaved their arms and legs, working for every advantage, either physical or psychological.

Coach Ron Rosendahl celebrated the Colonels’ second consecutive undefeated season with a flying leap off the 3-meter board.

At the start of the 1985 season, there were three goals: go undefeated, set new school records, and send swimmers to state. All three were achieved. The Colonels were undefeated for the third year in a row. The 400-meter freestyle relay team of Kispert

’85, Scott Nussbaum ’86, Andy Hall ’85,

and Fernando Miner ’88 set a record of 4:11.7. Kispert qualified for state in the 100-meter butterfly, a goal he had been working toward for three years.

MMA continued strong throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s with near- perfect records. LTC Ron Rosendahl served MMA for 31 years as a biology teacher and the head swimming coach, 20 years as the head baseball coach, 10 years as the athletic director and five years as an assistant football coach. During his tenure as swim coach, his teams had more than 100 victories in dual meets.

With a goal to return to the success and prestige of this previous era, MMA is currently building back the swim program. Assistant Coach Hannah Williams says the team won a majority of their meets this year, with a record of 8-5, and believes the program will be very successful moving forward.

Cadet Anthony Melick ’23 set a new MMA record for the 100-meter backstroke on September 20, 2020, with a time of 1:08.3. The previous record of 1:11.0 was set in 1977 by Randy Adler ’77.

ABOVE: 1983 swim team

RIGHT, TOP: Colonels Swimming, fall 2020

RIGHT, MIDDLE: Andy Hall ’85, member of the record-setting 400-meter free relay team

RIGHT, BOTTOM: LTC Ron Rosendahl takes a celebratory leap off the 3-meter board, after the team’s second undefeated season.

CENTER: (l-r) David Meerdink ’83,

Fernando Menendez ’80, Vince Mirabella

’82, Jim Calhoun ’80, 120-meter medley relay team (record 1:02.3), 1980 complied from TAPS