Swimming/Diving Reunion

Eighty years of excellence celebrated along with Dr. Jean Bailey Campbell’s accomplishments

Former Falcon swimmers and divers were recognized at an all-program reunion held in conjunction with the November 9 meet vs. Marshall, which the Falcons won by a score of 178-122. Alumni from both the women’s and men’s programs were recognized during the meet's break, with special attention paid to the accomplishments of Dr. Jean Bailey Campbell, who coached the BGSU Women’s Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving team from 1966 to 1977, and the Synchronized Swimming team from 1976 to 1978.

Current Head Coach Rickey Perkins pointed to the impressive success of Falcon Swimming and Diving, with the women winning eight championships at the state and MAC levels, and the men’s teams winning six MAC championships before the program ended in 2002. In addition to Campbell’s extraordinary contributions on the women’s side, Perkins also cited Tom Stubbs as a key figure for the men. Stubbs earned four varsity letters as a freestyle swimmer before becoming head swimming coach for 18 seasons. As head coach, he produced seven MAC championships, while helping the women's program to the league title in his last season.

Perkins went on to point out how important it was to see the strong alumni presence and interest at the reunion.

“To have everybody back to celebrate all that has been accomplished in the last 80 years was tremendous," Perkins said. “The reunion was a great opportunity for the current team to see how much this program means to our alumni and it allowed us to express our gratitude for the legacy they left behind for us to follow.”

Park Zimpher ‘79 also expressed appreciation for the event from an alumni perspective.

“The opportunity to reunite with my BGSU swimming and diving teammates to celebrate the new banners recognizing our seven state championship teams allowed each of us to reminisce about the importance of our years at BGSU,” Zimpher said. “We all agreed the bond we built 40 years ago remains just as strong today and our loyalty to BG Swimming stays steadfast. We already look forward to the next reunion!”