The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) has announced its all-time swimming and diving teams, and former Yellowjacket standout Jim Young has been chosen as a member of the men's team. As part of its centennial, the WIAC is announcing an all-time team in each of its championship sports.
Arguably the greatest swimmer in UW-Superior history, Young was a three-year standout in the pool for the Yellowjackets from 1969-72. A nine-time conference champion, the Arlington Heights, Ill. native claimed three conference titles in three consecutive years, setting a new conference record each time. He ruled the 200-yard backstroke, the 200-yard individual medley and the 400-yard individual medley in his time as a Yellowjacket. A three-time NAIA National Meet participant, Young was named the WSUC Athlete of the Year for men's swimming in 1970.
“I know that it is a sport that we haven't had here since the late 1970's, but for those that were around in that era, the name Jim Young is synonymous with greatness when it comes to swimming and diving,” Athletics Director Steve Nelson said. “To win three conference championships in a single year is one thing, but to do it for three straight years and break the conference record every year in the process is something entirely different. Mr. Young truly is one of the greatest athletes, not just swimmers, but athletes that we have ever had at UW-Superior and he absolutely warrants inclusion on this team.”
Young was inducted into the UW-Superior Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.
The official WIAC release can be viewed here.
The student-athlete representation on each team has relied heavily on input provided by the sports information director from each of the nine WIAC campuses, while the process for selecting the head coach(es) for each team also includes input from a panel of media representatives. The number of individuals selected per team varies depending upon the nature of the sport itself as well as the number of years the sport has/had been sponsored within the conference.
All-Time Team members will receive certificates from the conference and it is hoped that most, if not all, of the recipients will be in attendance or represented at the WIAC Centennial Banquet to be held at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison on August 4, 2012.
More information on the activities and events associated with the WIAC Centennial can be accessed via the WIAC website at www.wiacsports.com.
