COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – As part of the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association's (CSCAA) 100^th year, the organization compiled a list of the 100 Greatest Men's and Women's Swimmers and Divers in the past century. With nearly three thousand athletes nominated, the Queens University of Charlotte swimming program landed three former swimmers on the prestigious list, including Marius Kusch, Matthew Josa, and Patricia Castro Ortega.
 
The lengthy list of nominations was narrowed down before a blue-ribbon panel of current and former college swimmers, coaches, and members of the media made selections from a list of 973 finalists. On the men's list, 86 swimmers and 14 divers were selected while the women had 87 swimmers and 13 divers. The 400 nominees hail from 28 states and 13 countries. Some of the highlights from the selected group include 627 individual titles, 12 International Swimming Hall of Fame inductees and 59 Olympians.
 
The Royals were well represented on the men's side as Marius Kusch and Matthew Josa received the honors. Marius Kusch, a native of Kassel, Germany, is tied with Jakub Jiracek and Pablo Morales for the most individual NCAA titles among men with 11. Kusch was a three-time CSCAA and Bluegrass Mountain Conference Swimmer of the Year while setting six NCAA Division II records over his storied career. The two-time Division II Swimmer of the Year and three-time champion in the 200 I.M., Kusch was selected to represent Germany at the 2020 Olympic Games.
 
Staying in the men's list, Charlotte native Matthew Josa was remarkable during his time with the Royals. In just two years, Josa's dozen All-America honors were highlighted by seven individual titles including four in 2015. During that same season, Josa helped Queens to their first NCAA Division II team title and was named CSCAA Swimmer of the Year for the second time in his career. Josa would finish his career by earning All-America honors in the 100 butterfly, 400 medley relay, and 800 freestyle relay for the University of California.

"Marius and Matthew are two of the fastest flyers ever in all divisions and to see them recognized for their service while at Queens is quite an honor," Head Swimming Coach Jeff Dugdale emphasized. "We are a small aquatic centric school uniquely positioned just a mile from uptown Charlotte who is resolved to lead and positioned to deliver results. Both Marius and Matthew were able to leverage our great university to thrive academically and excel aquatically as each of them have led our university and their countries at the highest level with Marius representing Germany in the Olympic Games and Matthew as a United States National Team Member. Both have brought global attention to the University through their accomplishment and have, like so many others before and after them, built a foundation that supports our future leaders at Queens today."
 
Transitioning to the women's side, Patricia Castro Ortega represented the Royals on the honorary list. The Madrid, Spain native set the bar high for the Royals swimming program as the 2014 and 2015 CSCAA Bluegrass Mountain Conference Swimmer of the Year, setting three NCAA records on her way to ten individual NCAA titles. Ortega was recognized as an All-American in nine events, including consecutive honors in the 200-individual medley, 500 freestyle, 800 freestyle relay, 100 freestyle, and 400 freestyle relay.

"Patri, provides Queens with another first," Dugdale stated. "In just 12 years of existence, she is recognized as 1 of 87 swimmers all time in all divisions. A two-time Olympian from Spain made an impact both academically and athletically. Patri was also a finalist for the Honda Woman of the Year multiple years and I am so proud of what our sport has brought to the university and the number of firsts that have been achieved. Since bringing swimming to Queens, the university has been able to celebrate gold medals, the top Division II CoSIDA academic award winners, a White House visit, six National Championships, CSCAA Swimmers of the Year, and much more. I am so proud of Patri and the foundation that she helped build that will be enjoyed by our leaders tomorrow at Queens today."
 
Fans can access the full release as well as the men's list and women's list here. The CSCAA's 100^th birthday celebration will continue with upcoming announcements recognizing Centennial MVP's for each team along with a listing of the 100 Greatest Coaches, 100 Alumni of Impact. The anniversary will culminate with the Association's convention and awards banquet, May 2-4, 2022 in Rosemont, Illinois.
 
Founded in 1922, the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA), is the nation's first organization of college coaches. The mission of the CSCAA is to advance the sport of swimming and diving with coaches at the epicenter of leadership, advocacy, and professional development.