Washington State University Athletics
Jager Named To Pac-12 All-Century Men's Swimming Team
February 10, 2016 | Swimming
PULLMAN, Wash. - Washington State University Swimming Head Coach Tom Jager was named to the Pac-12 Men's Swimming Olympic Sports All-Century Team.
Jager was inducted for his excellence in freestyle sprints in Pac-12 Swimming at UCLA in 1984-87. He earned five individual NCAA championships and one relay championship. Individually, Jager won two NCAA titles in the 100-yard freestyle in the 1983 and 1984, two in the 50-yard freestyle in 1984 and 1985 and one in the 100-yard backstroke in 1985. In 1984, he was named the Pac-10 Swimmer of the Year and later earned two Olympic Gold Medals as a member of relay teams.
A panel of 20 coaches, swimmers, administrators and members of the media selected the team consisting of 26 swimmers and six divers, plus a Coach, Swimmer & Diver of the Century.
The top four vote-earners in each of the six disciplines made the All-Century Team, with two additional "wildcard" swimmers selected by a second vote of the remaining 5th, 6th and 7th place finishers. The top two divers in each of the three events also made the All-Century Team. Swimmers and divers could be nominated in more than one event, with three earning roster spots in multiple events.
After college, Jager added two more Olympic Gold medals from relays and a silver medal in the 50-meter freestyle in the 1988 Olympic Games. He closed out his Olympic career in 1992 with a gold medal in the 4x100 freestyle relay and a bronze medal in the 50-meter freestyle.
Jager is a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame and the USA Swim Team of the Century. He is a former captain of the U.S. National Team, owns 11 national titles and held the 50-meter freestyle world record three times, including a 10 year-long run from 1990-2000.
Jager came to WSU in May 2011 after seven seasons with the University of Idaho. In 2014-15, he coached the Cougars to three conference wins for the first time in school history. This season, he's led the Cougars to victories over Arizona State, Oregon State and Nebraska.
