Caleb Courage highlighted his distinguished swimming career at Grove City College by capturing three NCAA Division III titles in the 100 freestyle and 18 total NCAA Division III All-America citations.
He graduated as the most decorated athlete in Grove City College history.
Courage became Grove City’s 46th all-time men’s swimming and diving All-American as a freshman when he placed fourth in the 100 freestyle at the NCAA Championships in Holland, Mich.
Courage won the first of his three national titles as a sophomore in 2006 when he captured the 100 freestyle in Minneapolis. Courage became the first Grove City men’s swimmer to win a national title.
The Shippensburg, Pa., native successfully defended his national title at the 2007 NCAA Championships in Houston, winning the 100 free in 44.36 seconds. Courage also took second in the 50 free to teammate Tim Whitbeck, helping Grove City place ninth in the team standings.
After spending the 2007-08 season training for – and competing in – the United States Olympic Trials, Courage returned to Grove City for his senior season in 2008-09.
Courage won his third NCAA title in the 100 free with a winning time of 43.62 seconds in the finals. In the preliminaries, he broke a 22-year-old NCAA Division III record in that event with a time of 43.60 seconds.
He also placed runner-up in the 50 free at the 2009 NCAA Championships, helping lead the Wolverines to sixth place in the team standings, the best-ever national finish for the program.
Courage also helped Grove City to the 2009 Presidents’ Athletic Conference title. A four-time conference Most Valuable Performer, Courage won 11 individual conference titles and contributed to 10 relay titles in his four seasons.
He set conference records in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle, as well as the 100 backstroke and 200 individual medley.
Courage capped his career by earning the College’s Sportsman of the Year award for the 2008-09 academic year.
