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No matter the sport, the Pensacola area always seems to produce great athletes.
This small part of the northwest Florida panhandle has produced MLB and NFL Hall of Famers, golf major champions and track and field Olympic gold medalists.
Swimming has its own rich history too, with multiple Olympians and coaches who helped develop some of the best of the best during their time. It’s also the final sport on our list of USA TODAY’s companywide 250 for 250 series.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states and regions.
In recent months, we've been honoring some of the top athletes in Pensacola area history.
Below are the eight nominees for the top swimming figures from the Pensacola area. Think we missed anyone? Email [email protected] to let us know who should have been included.
Who has defined Pensacola-area high school swimming the most?
The first of three swimmers on this list to represent Team USA at the 1988 Olympics, Barr won a silver medal as the leadoff leg on the 4x100-meter medley relay before graduating high school. She also finished fifth in the 100-meter backstroke and fourth in the 200-meter backstroke.
Barr graduated from Booker T. Washington in 1989, winning the FHSAA 4A 100-yard backstroke titles in 1987 and 1988. She went on to compete for the University of Texas, where she was a four-time All-American, winning the 200-yard backstroke and swimming the first leg on the national championship winning 200-yard medley relay in 1991 as the Longhorns romped to a team title.
[IMG alt="
Gulf Breeze junior Tori Bindi seeks a third consecutive year of winning state swim titles at this weekend’s Class 2A state championship meet in Stuart, located north of West Palm Beach. Washington girls are also seeking repeat.
"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/pensacola-news-journal/636aceeb9780e10857cb2a19297d95f6[/IMG]
The most decorated prep swimmer in Pensacola area history, Bindi won the 2A 50 and 100-yard freestyle titles all four years from 2012-15. Only five athletes in FHSAA history have won more titles than Bindi, though none of those athletes won a state title after 1940.
Back then, there were no limits on how many events a swimmer could swim. Today, swimmers are limited to two individual events.
Just two swimmers since then can match Bindi’s eight individual state titles. She went on to swim at the University of Florida from 2016-20, where she competed at the 2019 NCAA Championship as a member of the Gators 800-yard freestyle relay team.
Bultman’s legendary coaching career included stops at GPAC from 1975-79 and 1980-89. Locally, he’s best known for placing Barr, Andrea Hayes and Daniel Watters on the 1988 U.S. Olympic team.
He coached at four other clubs and was an assistant at LSU and Georgia before taking over as the head coach at Texas A&M in 1999. In 25 years leading the Aggies, the program had 12 top-10 finishes at the NCAA championships and won eight conference championships. Bultman also coached six individual national champions, 80 All-Americans and 16 Olympians.
Gibb’s decades in the sport started in Pensacola, where swam for Tate and was the state runner-up in the 100 freestyle in 1979.
He then walked on at Florida, where he was SEC champion in the 100 freestyle in 1982 and helped the Gators win the SEC and NCAA championship in 1983. At one time he was also the co-American record holder in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay.
Gibb has been in coaching for the last 40 years at both the college and club level. He was the head coach at Florida State from 1994-99, South Carolina from 1999-2007 and Daytona State from 2011-13 and has developed 14 Olympians in his coaching career.
Farrell had a decorated prep career with the Wildcats, winning the 2A 100-yard butterfly state titles from 2004-06 and the 2A 100-yard backstroke state titles in 2005 and 2006.
She went on to swim at Tennessee from 2007-11, where she was a four-time All-American.
The second of three 1988 Olympians on this list, Hayes graduated from Booker T. in 1986. She won the 4A 100-yard backstroke in 1984 and 1985 and the 200-yard individual medley in 1985.
Hayes won gold in the 800-meter freestyle in the 1986 Goodwill Games, a silver medal in the 200-meter backstroke at the 1987 Pan Pacific Championships before finishing sixth in the 200 back at the 1988 Olympics.
She also had a decorated career at Texas from 1986-90, where she was 16-time All-American and helped the Longhorns win three national championships in four years.
Robinson won the 2023 3A state titles in the 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly as a senior for the Wildcats, then won the 200-meter butterfly while representing Team USA at the 2024 Junior Pan Pacific Championships the following summer.
He’s competed at Florida State the last two seasons and is coming off an incredible sophomore campaign. Robinson set school records in the 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard butterfly won the 200 fly at the ACC championships and became a four-time All-American.
The final 1988 U.S. Olympian on this list, Watters placed 15th in the 100-meter breaststroke. He also won three straight 4A 100-yard breaststroke state titles from 1986-88.
Watters swam collegiately at Texas, helping the Longhorns win two national championships.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Top swimming figures in Pensacola area history
Continue reading...
This small part of the northwest Florida panhandle has produced MLB and NFL Hall of Famers, golf major champions and track and field Olympic gold medalists.
Swimming has its own rich history too, with multiple Olympians and coaches who helped develop some of the best of the best during their time. It’s also the final sport on our list of USA TODAY’s companywide 250 for 250 series.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states and regions.
In recent months, we've been honoring some of the top athletes in Pensacola area history.
Below are the eight nominees for the top swimming figures from the Pensacola area. Think we missed anyone? Email [email protected] to let us know who should have been included.
Who has defined Pensacola-area high school swimming the most?
Beth Barr, Booker T. Washington
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The first of three swimmers on this list to represent Team USA at the 1988 Olympics, Barr won a silver medal as the leadoff leg on the 4x100-meter medley relay before graduating high school. She also finished fifth in the 100-meter backstroke and fourth in the 200-meter backstroke.
Barr graduated from Booker T. Washington in 1989, winning the FHSAA 4A 100-yard backstroke titles in 1987 and 1988. She went on to compete for the University of Texas, where she was a four-time All-American, winning the 200-yard backstroke and swimming the first leg on the national championship winning 200-yard medley relay in 1991 as the Longhorns romped to a team title.
Tori Bindi, Gulf Breeze
[IMG alt="
Gulf Breeze junior Tori Bindi seeks a third consecutive year of winning state swim titles at this weekend’s Class 2A state championship meet in Stuart, located north of West Palm Beach. Washington girls are also seeking repeat.
"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/pensacola-news-journal/636aceeb9780e10857cb2a19297d95f6[/IMG]
The most decorated prep swimmer in Pensacola area history, Bindi won the 2A 50 and 100-yard freestyle titles all four years from 2012-15. Only five athletes in FHSAA history have won more titles than Bindi, though none of those athletes won a state title after 1940.
Back then, there were no limits on how many events a swimmer could swim. Today, swimmers are limited to two individual events.
Just two swimmers since then can match Bindi’s eight individual state titles. She went on to swim at the University of Florida from 2016-20, where she competed at the 2019 NCAA Championship as a member of the Gators 800-yard freestyle relay team.
Steve Bultman, Greater Pensacola Aquatic Club
Bultman’s legendary coaching career included stops at GPAC from 1975-79 and 1980-89. Locally, he’s best known for placing Barr, Andrea Hayes and Daniel Watters on the 1988 U.S. Olympic team.
He coached at four other clubs and was an assistant at LSU and Georgia before taking over as the head coach at Texas A&M in 1999. In 25 years leading the Aggies, the program had 12 top-10 finishes at the NCAA championships and won eight conference championships. Bultman also coached six individual national champions, 80 All-Americans and 16 Olympians.
Donald Gibb, Tate
Gibb’s decades in the sport started in Pensacola, where swam for Tate and was the state runner-up in the 100 freestyle in 1979.
He then walked on at Florida, where he was SEC champion in the 100 freestyle in 1982 and helped the Gators win the SEC and NCAA championship in 1983. At one time he was also the co-American record holder in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay.
Gibb has been in coaching for the last 40 years at both the college and club level. He was the head coach at Florida State from 1994-99, South Carolina from 1999-2007 and Daytona State from 2011-13 and has developed 14 Olympians in his coaching career.
Morgan Farrell, Booker T. Washington
Farrell had a decorated prep career with the Wildcats, winning the 2A 100-yard butterfly state titles from 2004-06 and the 2A 100-yard backstroke state titles in 2005 and 2006.
She went on to swim at Tennessee from 2007-11, where she was a four-time All-American.
Andrea Hayes, Booker T. Washington
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The second of three 1988 Olympians on this list, Hayes graduated from Booker T. in 1986. She won the 4A 100-yard backstroke in 1984 and 1985 and the 200-yard individual medley in 1985.
Hayes won gold in the 800-meter freestyle in the 1986 Goodwill Games, a silver medal in the 200-meter backstroke at the 1987 Pan Pacific Championships before finishing sixth in the 200 back at the 1988 Olympics.
She also had a decorated career at Texas from 1986-90, where she was 16-time All-American and helped the Longhorns win three national championships in four years.
Logan Robinson, Booker T. Washington
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Robinson won the 2023 3A state titles in the 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly as a senior for the Wildcats, then won the 200-meter butterfly while representing Team USA at the 2024 Junior Pan Pacific Championships the following summer.
He’s competed at Florida State the last two seasons and is coming off an incredible sophomore campaign. Robinson set school records in the 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard butterfly won the 200 fly at the ACC championships and became a four-time All-American.
Daniel Watters, Booker T. Washington
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The final 1988 U.S. Olympian on this list, Watters placed 15th in the 100-meter breaststroke. He also won three straight 4A 100-yard breaststroke state titles from 1986-88.
Watters swam collegiately at Texas, helping the Longhorns win two national championships.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Top swimming figures in Pensacola area history
Continue reading...
