Speaking of Watching Former Winona Swimmers in College

It got me to thinking about the opportunities for young people to continue their swimming and diving after high school. Having only one of the two Winona four year institutions supporting swimming & diving, it is easy to loose sight of the idea that a student can select a school that suits them both academically and socially/athletically. (By the way, every chance I get, I mention to Dr. Judith Ramaley at WSU that a new pool and swimming program would be a good addition to the institution. I just told her Saturday night at the athletic scholarship auction that she would look good in a Winona State Swimming Shirt! Feel free to chime in!)

Sorry,  I digress, as I was saying, I combine social and athletics because unlike high school, many times a college Freshman is going to an environment with no connections, no “circle” to speak of. A college selection that includes joining a swim team makes for an instant group to associate with and coaches that can provide an reassuring anchor. I was both a college athlete AND a dormitory head resident. I saw first hand how acclimation into college life was augmented by group association or soured by isolation and home sickness.

Following up on Winona swimmers at college, and then starting to do some perusing, I have found over 50 colleges, from Div 1 through NAIA, in the six state area (MN,WI, ND, SD, IA, IL) that have swimming and diving programs.

                                                                            Swimming Programs

School Name City State                                            Men Women

1 Augsburg College. Minneapolis (MN)                               W
2 Augustana College. Rock Island (IL)                             M W
3 Beloit College. Beloit (WI)                                             M W
4 Calvin College. Grand Rapids (MI)                                  M W
5 Carelton College Northfield (MN)                                    M W
6 Carroll College. Waukasha (WI)                                        M W
7 Coe College Cedar Rapids (IA)                                         M W
8 College of St. Benedict St. Joseph (MN)                                 W
9 Concordia College Moorhead (MN)                                  M W
10 Eastern Illinois University. Charleston (IL)                     M W
11 Eastern Michigan University. Ypsilanti (MI)                   M W
12 Grand Valley State University. Allendale (MI)                 M W
13 Grinell College Ginelle (IA)                                             M W
14 Gustavus Adolphus St. Peter (MN)                                 M W
15 Hamline University St. Paul (MN)                                     M W
16 Hope College. Holland (MI)                                              M W
17 Illinois College. Jacksonville (IL)                                     M W
18 Illinois Institute of Technology. Chicago (IL)                    M W
19 Illinois State Normal (IL)                                                          W
20 Iowa State University. Ames (IA)                                              W
21 Loras College. Dubuque (IA)                                                M  W
22 Luther College Decorah (IA)                                                 M W
23 Macalester College St. Paul (MN)                                         M W
24 Michigan State University. East Lansing (MI)                        M W
25 Minnesota State University- Moorhead Moorhead (MN)           W
26 Minnesota State University--Mankato. Mankato (MN)            M W
27 Monmouth College. Monmouth (IL)                                        M W
28 Morningside College. Sioux City (IA)                                      M W
29 Northern State Aberdeen (SD)                                                       W
30 Northwestern University. Evanston (IL)                                   M W
31 Oakland University. Rochester (MI)                                          M W
32 Principia College. Elsah (IL)                                                       M W
33 Simpson College Indianola (IA)                                                 M W
34 South Dakota State University. Brookings (SD)                         M W
35 Southern Illinois University--Carbondale. Carbobdale (IL)       M W
36 St. Catherine University St.Paul (MN)                                              W
37 St. Cloud State University. St. Cloud (MN)                                  M W
38 St. John's University Collegeville (MN)                                       M
39 St. Mary's University of Minnesota. Winona (MN)                      M W
40 St. Olaf College Northfield (MN)                                                  M W
41 University of Illinois--Chicago. Chicago (IL)                               M W
42 University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign. Champaign (IL)              W
43 University of Iowa. Iowa City (IA)                                                 M W
44 University of Michigan--Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor (MI)                    M W
45 University of Minnesota--Morris Morris (MN)                                 W
46 University of Minnesota--Twin Cities. Minneapolis (MN)            M W
47 University of North Dakota. Grand Forks (ND)                               M W
48 University of Northern Iowa. Cedar Falls (IA)                                       W
49 University of South Dakota Vermillion (SD)                                   M W
50 University of St. Thomas. St. Paul (MN)                                          M W
51 University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Eau Claire (WI)                     M W
52 University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Green Bay (WI)                      M W
53 University of Wisconsin--La Crosse. La Crosse (WI)                       M W
54 University of Wisconsin--Madison. Madison (WI)                            M W
55 University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee. Milwaukee (WI)                     M W
56 University of Wisconsin--Oshkosh Oshkosh (WI)                             M W
57 University of Wisconsin--River Falls River Falls (WI)                     M W
58 University of Wisconsin--Stevens Point Stevens Point (WI)             M W
59 Wayne State University. Detroit (MI)                                                 M W
60 Western Illinois Moline (IL)                                                                 M W
61 Wheaton College. Wheaton (IL)                                                           M W

First and foremost, definitely give Eric Lindquist and his program at St. Mary’s Winona a serious look.


If you want to look further, you parents with Seniors, compare this list to the one you have amassed so far, and you parents of Juniors, it is never too early to start.

When my, never met him before but soon to be my college coach, had come recruiting to my high school, I had never even heard of his college before. Upon discovering they had the engineering program I had been looking for, I was very glad he did.