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allen_halloffame_2019

Men's Swimming and Diving Joe Browning

N.C. Swimming Hall of Fame Tabs Allen

WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Former UNCW swimming and diving head coach Dave Allen, the founder of UNCW's program and a key contributor in the development of aquatics in the Cape Fear Region for nearly 40 years, will be inducted into the N.C. Swimming Hall of Fame during a special ceremony next month.

Allen is one of five honorees who will be honored on April 5, 2019, at the Embassy Suites in Cary, N.C. Individual Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. ceremony are available by visiting ncshof2019.eventbrite.com.

31450In addition to Allen, Jeff Gaeckle, Janis Hape, Abby Johnston McGrath and Todd Torres will make up the five-member class. It marks the third Hall of Fame induction for Allen, who was previously inducted into the Potsdam State Athletic Hall of Fame and Greater Wilmington Sports Hall of Fame.

Allen coached 44 years at three different institutions and racked up 542 dual meet wins before announcing his retirement from UNCW in 2014. The Rochester, N.Y., native fashioned a 494-356 record in 37 seasons at UNCW following one season at Allegheny (4-7) and six at Potsdam State (44-26).

Allen, who originated the Seahawk program in 1977-78, led the UNCW men's team to its 13th consecutive Colonial Athletic Association championship in College Park, Md., in 2013-14.  He also directed the women's team to three CAA championships, including back-to-back crowns in 1998 and 1999, and the 1997 and 1998 ECAC crowns.

Overall, Allen guided the Seahawks to a combined 16 conference championships - 13 on the men's side and three for the women, along with a pair of Eastern titles. The successful coach was named CAA Coach-of-the-Year an impressive 15 times, five for women and 10 for the men.

The N.C. Swimming Hall of Fame, founded in 1985, recognizes outstanding achievements in swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, water polo and open water swimming. This year's induction will be the group's 10th induction.
 
2019 N.C. Swimming Hall of Fame Inductees
 
 Dave Allen
A native of Rochester, NY, Allen swam collegiately at Springfield College and began his coaching career at Allegheny College in 1970-71. He spent a year at Allegheny becoming head coach at SUNY Potsdam, where he compiled a 44-26 record with the Bears. At Potsdam, Allen's squad captured the state championship in 1977 and was ranked No. 15 that year in the NCAA Division III poll.  In his final two seasons in New York, Allen coached five All-Americans and was voted State University of New York Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. He was inducted into Potsdam's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1977. Allen was named head coach of the inaugural UNCW men's team in 1977. Allen became the founder and architect of UNCW's swimming and diving programs. In his 37 seasons at UNCW before retirement in 2014, Allen coached 15 All-Americans and 155 conference champions. Six of Allen's swimmers have been inducted in the UNCW Athletic Hall of Fame. During Allen's tenure the Seahawks racked up 494 dual meet victories and 16 Colonial Athletic Association championships, including 13 straight for the men's team and three for the women's team. Allen was named CAA Coach-of-the-Year 15 times, including five times for his successful seasons with the women and 10 times for the men. Allen and his wife, Ellen, have three children, Matt, Brian and Stephanie, each of whom attended UNCW and competed on the swim teams.

Jeff Gackle
Gackle attended Michigan State University, where he was a varsity swimmer and served as team captain in 1979. After graduation Gackle moved to Charlotte, N.C., and in 1981 became the Head Coach of Mecklenburg Aquatic Club (MAC). During his 12 years as Head Coach at MAC, Gackle built the club into one of the state and country's premier age group swimming programs. His club athletes included U.S. Olympic Team members, National and Junior National Champions, State Champions, and National and State Record Holders. He also founded and served as longtime manager of the high-profile UltraSwim international swimming Grand Prix competition held annually in Charlotte. Jeff served on the Board of Directors of MAC for 29 years from 1981-2010 and was President of the Board from 2005-2009. He continues to provide leadership to MAC as an advisor and CEO. Gackle served as a Board Member and head of the Marketing Committee for USA Swimming. In 2006, Jeff helped MAC form a partnership with USA Swimming and the United States Olympic Committee to create the country's first "Center of Excellence" in the sport of swimming. This center, housed at SwimMAC Carolina, serves as a training center for post graduate and professional swimmers seeking berths on the U.S. Olympic Team. As founder of Carolina Pool Management (1994), operator of 300 summer swim clubs throughout the Carolinas; founder of The Pool Management Group (1997), a parent company to 16 pool management companies around the country; and partner in the Paddock Evacuator Company, which is dedicated to improving air quality in indoor swimming facilities, Gackle also has had a very successful business career in aquatics. 

Janis Hape Dowd
A native of Gary, Ind., Dowd grew up in Pittsburgh, Pa., and started swimming at the age of 10. She attended North Allegheny High School until her senior year, winning several State Championships as well as the 100 Breast record.  She swam for the Pitt Aquatic Club and trained with Bob Miller during the summer at Totem Lake Swim Club in Kirkland, Washington. She graduated early from high school to train with him for the 1976 Olympics. As a member of Team USA at the 1976 Summer Olympic Games in Montreal, Dowd competed in the women's 200-Meter breaststroke and recorded a best time of 2:45.57. After the Summer Games, Janis attended college at North Carolina. Dowd was a varsity swimmer on the UNC women's swim team and a top competitor in breaststroke and the medley relays (200 and 400 yard) from 1977-1980. She was named an All-American in both her freshman and sophomore years, and established school records in the 50, 100, and 200-yard Breaststroke events. Since graduation Dowd has been living in Charlotte, NC, where she continues to support the sport of swimming. Dowd, together with her family, is a benefactor of the USA Swimming Foundation, USA Swimming, and her alma mater's men's and women's swim programs. Dowd helped found and fund the annual Janis Hape Dowd Nike Invitational, which features a number of the country's top collegiate programs in a multi-day competition hosted at Koury Natatorium. Dowd is married to fellow UNC alum Frank Dowd IV and has three children, Will, Diana, and Sally.

Abby Johnston McGrath
McGrath grew up in Columbus, Ohio, where she began her athletic career as a gymnast. McGrath trained and competed for nine years before a back injury ended her gymnastics career. In 2002, McGrath began diving and was quickly able to advance in the sport thanks to her natural talent. At Upper Arlington High School, McGrath was a three-year varsity letter winner and two-time Ohio state champion. Abby also became a USA Diving Junior National Champion on the 3-meter springboard, a silver and bronze medalist at the Junior Pan Am Games, and a member of the USA Diving Olympic Medal Program (OMP). McGrath went on to win the USA Diving national championship in 3-meter synchronized diving in 2005, 2006, and 2008. She enrolled at Duke and graduated with a psychology degree in 2013. At Duke, in 2009, she became the first Duke diver to qualify for the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships. In 2011, she became an NCAA Champion by winning the 3-meter diving competition, also making her Duke's first-ever NCAA Diving Champion. McGrath was a four-time member of the USA Diving World Cup Team (2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016) and a finalist at the 2010 Diving World Cup. She made the U.S. Olympic Team and captured the silver medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games in 3-meter synchronized diving. Though she entered Duke Medical School in 2014, McGrath continued to compete in diving at an Olympic level, and she closed out her Olympic career with a 12th place finish in individual 3-meter diving at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

Todd Torres
Torres is a Tar Heel native who began his swimming career as an age group swimmer in Sanford before moving to Greensboro. Torres competed for the Greensboro Swimming Association (GSA) club and for Grimsley High School. Torres became one of the fastest breaststrokers in the state and set both short course and long course records in the 200 Breaststroke. Torres attended LSU on a swimming scholarship and became the most decorated athlete in the history of the LSU swimming and diving program. At LSU, Torres set a national age group record in the 100 Breaststroke, was a 14-time All American, Southeast Conference (SEC) champion and NCAA Champion. Torres competed for the United States and won gold and silver medals at the 1987 Summer World University Games in Zagreb, Croatia and the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana, Cuba. Torres played a major role on the 1988 LSU team that became the only SEC Championship team in the history of the LSU program. That same team finished sixth at the NCAA Championships that year, making it the highest NCAA finish in the history of LSU Swimming. In recognition of these accomplishments, Torres was inducted into LSU's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015. After his collegiate career, Torres went on to compete in two Summer Olympic Games, in 1992 in Barcelona, Spain, and in 1996 in Atlanta. Representing Puerto Rico in the games, Torres placed as high as 12th in Barcelona in the Men's 4x100m Medley Relay and reached the finals of the 100 Breaststroke. He continues to swim and compete in Masters Competition as a member of the East Carolina Aquatics Masters Swim Team, where he has set a number of new USMS National and World records. Torres is also currently serving as an officer of North Carolina Masters Swimming.
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