University of St. Thomas Athletics
Program Overview
In fall 2021 St. Thomas becomes the first institution to make a direct move in all sports from NCAA D-III into D-I athletics.
Tommie Men's Swim-Dive is one of 18 sports that will compete in the Summit League. St. Thomas teams will also compete in the Pioneer Football League; the WCHA Women’s Hockey league; and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association for men’s hockey.
Division III Era
St. Thomas Swimming and Diving emerged as a conference leader and top-25 Division III national program over the last 15 years.
Since 2006, the women’s team improved from ninth place all the way to first place in the MIAC.
The men’s team climbed from sixth place in the conference to a few seasons later in 2010 winning its first championship in 56 years.
The men earned 11 consecutive MIAC top-two finishes, including championships in 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. The women won the MIAC title in 2016 -- the first conference championship in their program history. That was followed by three more championships in 2017, 2018 and 2019 and a runner-up finish in 2020.
Fueling the program momentum has been the advantage of training and competing in a state-of-the-art facility. From 1940-2010, the home of UST swimming was the five-lane O’Shaughnessy Natatorium in old O'Shaughnessy Hall. Now the team practices and competes in the aquatic center within the $52 million Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex, which opened in 2010. It features an eight-lane, 25-yard-by-25-meter pool for swimming meets, as well as a diving area.
This amazing improvement also comes from a refined focus on the details of swimming and a highly specific approach to training: Perfect stroke, start, turn and finish mechanics, and workouts centered on practicing at race speed. At St. Thomas, you’ll practice at race pace, and then recover. You will be asked to think while you swim and tend to good mechanics, but you won’t be subjected to week after week of 12,000 yard a day practices. We believe that being a well-rounded student-athlete is important, and that when you practice being fast, with focused, high-intensity training, you will reach your potential.
For 30-plus years, Tommie Swimmers and Divers have called themselves, “The Family.” This reflects a culture of caring among a closely-knit group of young men and women who are known around campus for their academic excellence (with perennial Scholar All-America awards), generosity of spirit (with multiple community service awards), and a reputation around campus for their enthusiastic involvement.
Hodgson retired in May 2014 after 35 seasons. His three-year assistant coach Scott Blanchard was hired to oversee the men's and women's teams. Blanchard has continued the recent gains on the conference and national scene while carrying on the program's close-knit identity.
Over the last three decades, Tommie swimming and diving has produced more than 130 MIAC champs and more than 50 All-America performances. Tommie women have won MIAC Swimmer of the Year three of five years from 2016-2020, while St. Thomas men were so honored four of seven years from 2014-2020.
Emma Paulson won three NCAA individual titles as a junior in 2016 -- 50 free, 100 and 200 back -- and also was voted a CoSIDA Academic All-America. Paulson helped the 2016 Tommies win their program's first MIAC team title.
