Calgary Dinos celebrate 1980-91 men's swimming dynasty
Team enters Canada West Hall of Fame Class of 2024-25
Nov. 20, 2024 - As current Calgary Dinos swimmers prepare for the 2024 Odlum Brown Canada West Swimming Championships this weekend in Vancouver, the program is also looking back to recognize a legendary era of its history.
The Dinos are celebrating their 1980-91 men's swimming dynasty after it was announced the team was inducted into the Canada West Hall of Fame's Class of 2024-25 earlier this fall.
The team emerged as the most dominant force in university swimming for an eleven year stretch, capturing a remarkable 11 straight conference titles.
The Dinos also proved to be a powerhouse on the national stage, capturing nine national titles over that span.
The team featured seven olympians and sported three members of the Canadian bronze medal winning 4x100m medley relay team at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, including Jon Cleveland, Tom Ponting, and Mark Tewksbury. Tewksbury would also capture a gold medal at the 1992 games in the 100m backstroke.
Tewksbury was inducted into the Canada West Hall of Fame in 2019, and would later be joined by the team's head coach Derek Snelling, who was inducted in 2022.
Canada West unveiled its entire Hall of Fame Class of 2024-25 earlier in September. Individual inductee spotlights will continue throughout the season.
Fans can view all previous Hall of Fame inductees on the Canada West Hall of Fame website.
Calgary Dinos Men's Swimming 1980-91 - Team Category
The Dinos were the most dominant force in university swimming between 1980-91, capturing a remarkable 11 straight conference titles. The team was also a powerhouse on the national stage, capturing nine national titles over that stretch.
The team featured seven olympians, including Rob Chernoff (1984), Tom Ponting (1984, 1988, 1992), Mike Meldrum (1988), Gary Vandermeulen (1988), Steven Vandermeulen (1988), Jon Cleveland (1988, 1992), and Mark Tewksbury (1988, 1992).
Getting his start at the University of Calgary, Tewksbury would go on to become one of the most recognizable Canadian athletes in history. As a Dino, he captured 10 national gold medals and was twice named the Dinos Male Athlete of the Year (1988, 1990).
He would go on to become a Canadian olympic star, capturing a gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic games in the 100m backstroke. He would also be a key part of the Canadian bronze medal winning 4x100m medley relay team at the '92 Olympics, alongside two Dinos teammates in Jon Cleveland and Tom Ponting.
Two members of the Dinos dynasty have already been enshrined in the Canada West Hall of Fame. Tewksbury was inducted in 2019, and would later be joined by the team's head coach Derek Snelling, inducted into 2022.
ABOUT THE CANADA WEST HALL OF FAME
For the last century, organized university sport has been a central part of the student experience at institutions across Western Canada. Beginning with the University of Manitoba capturing the first Western Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union (WCIAU) men's hockey banner in 1919-20, student-athletes have been competing to reach their full potential in sport and the classroom, while enriching campus life.
To commemorate 100 years of university sport across Western Canada, the Canada West Hall of Fame was created in the spring of 2019. This year's induction class will be unveiled throughout the 2023-24 season.