The United States of America has a number of legendary stories and tales that exist throughout its history. There is Paul Bunyan, a giant lumberjack who stood a remarkable 63 ax handles tall and even Johnny Appleseed, a man who actually planted apple trees, and pear trees for that matter, from Pennsylvania to Illinois.
Another is a woman referred to as Molly Pitcher, who was a folk hero that carried water to troops during the American Revolution. It wasn't a singular woman, but rather two women—Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley and Margaret Corbin—that made their presence felt. In the case of McCauley, the story describes that as she was carrying water for the troops at the Battle of Monmouth in June, 1778, her husband the artilleryman was wounded and she abandoned her water jugs and took up loading the artillery in his place.
In the case of Corbin, she is described to have taken up a cannon when her husband was killed at Fort Washington on Manhattan Island, New York in 1776. She was seriously wounded there herself when her arm was almost severed and her breast was lacerated by grapeshot.
Salem College has its own legendary tale involving the water—including one that the young women who lived in the Clewell dorm, would jump out of the window into the pool below to cool off from the heat of the summer. Current Salem College President Dr. Summer McGee and Salem swim coach Vavina Lapham would certainly frown on those risqué moves, for safety reasons altogether, as did the administrators at Salem College at the time.
In 1969 by Dean Carter, father of alum Joyce Carter, found that Governor's School students tossed a large amount of grape jello into the water. These attempts forced the draining and closure of the pool, but it became a popular site for sunbathing later that year.
Salem Swimming's Past
Salem swimming has its own legend, including one of the main pioneers of the program and Salem Hall of Fame member Jane Barkman Brown ('74), who captured three national championships over the course of her career. The first came in 1965 and she followed with two more in 1968. She went onto represent the United States in the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City as a 17-year-old, winning a gold medal as part of the 4x100 meter freestyle relay.
Brown, along with teammates Linda Gusavson, Sue Pedersen and Jan Henne established a then Olympic record (4:02.5) in the finals. She went onto earn a bronze medal in the 200-meter freestyle event as Team USA swept the Top-3 finishes.
Salem Swimming Becomes an NCAA Program
The Salem swimming program was officially recognized as an NCAA sport prior to the start of the 2007-08 season. The Spirits took part in 12 meets that season, under then-head-coach Robert Jaffe, including the Boo Bash Relays, marking the first official meet. The team would swim for the next two seasons—2008-09 and 2009-10—under the direction of Jaffe, before surprisingly a lack of interest in the program forced a cancellation.
"Swimming has always been strong in North Carolina and the Triad as a whole," said Jaffe. "However, we struggled in finding swimmers from local clubs that were interested. So most of our swimmers came from Virginia, Raleigh and Charlotte. Another key factor was that we had recruits who came to Salem that had been swimming since they were 8-10 years old and they simply got burned out on the college swimming experience."
One individual that made a major impact on the swimming program under Jaffe was Rachel Fichthorn Cleveland ('09). Cleveland, a two-sport athlete who was also a member of the cross country team, ended her swimming career with 11 Top-3 individual finishes and two Top-3 team finishes. As a runner, Cleveland had four Top-3 finishes, including a first place performance at both the Raleigh Women's Invitational and Salem College Invitational in 2008.
Cleveland's name is prominent throughout the Salem swimming record book, and she still owns six individual records including the 100 backstroke (1:08.68), 200 backstroke (2:29.65), 200 individual medley (2:35.02), 400 individual medley (5:21.06), 500 freestyle (6:16.86) and 1000 freestyle (12:25.08). She is also a part of three Salem relay units that remain the best marks in program history, including the 200 freestyle relay (1:56.72), 400 freestyle relay (4:24.06) and 800 freestyle relay (9:46.29).
Cleveland, who earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and history, later completed a master's in speech language pathology from the University of Maryland. As she reflected on her program records, Cleveland said "it's crazy to think about. I always wanted to improve my own times so I'm proud that my hard work is still paying off. I hope that it helps others inspire to work harder and swim faster and they can break my records sometime."
The record that Cleveland holds dearest is her 1000 freestyle mark, which she set at a meet that included Salem, Agnes Scott, Greensboro and Sweet Briar on February 5, 2008. She placed third in the overall event, logging a time of 12:25.08 in the process. "Distance training in swimming is grueling and can be isolating," said Cleveland. "I remember constantly swimming 100 repeats with little rest continuing to keep swimming while everyone else was resting or finished."
While that memory is a fond one for Cleveland, she also recalled a time that the heater in the Salem Aquatics Center pool was not so kind to her and her teammates. "One time, the heater in the pool was broken and we still had practice," described Cleveland. "We were all huddled in the shower together afterwards trying to warm up because it was freezing cold."
That shivering experience was just one of many bonding experiences for Cleveland and her teammates. Because, as Cleveland said, "this is one of the last times you will get to do structured team sports and it's great for building relationships." One such relationship for Cleveland was with Paige Coulter Krier ('07), who Cleveland describes as "so encouraging. I was always hard on myself and she helped me keep perspective on what I was actually accomplishing."
Krier, a two-sport athlete that played volleyball along with swimming at Salem, earned her bachelor of science in biology and minors in both math and religion. The swimming record books, which are incomplete of all meets from 2007-10, have Krier competing in just one meet. That came on January 20, 2008, where she finished second in the 200 breaststroke against Agnes Scott and Sweet Briar.
"There's no single moment-it's truly the little pieces-hours spent on buses, gathering for team dinners, and the general camaraderie of being a team," says Krier of important moments that defined her playing career at Salem. "I might not have any marquee wins, but each PR was celebrated by the team and that was always a joyful moment."
For Krier, the Salem athletic experience extended beyond the competition. "Salem provided me with so many skills that were an asset in my personal and professional life," said Krier. "I learned how to balance competing priorities, find time to do what needs to be done, work with others, and that my voice is important in any room. I've been able to build strong relationships with advisors in grad school and colleagues based on how we work with others in so many of my lab courses.
"Celebrating the little wins improves overall morale. In sports, there are so many things that we lift up, PRs, new milestones, wins, and sometimes just showing up at early (or late) practices," Krier added. "We don't remember to do that often enough in the working/adult world. Create a culture of joy and celebrate your teammates and all the little things that add up to the big wins."
Krier spoke with great enthusiasm about her athletic career at Salem, but her impact extended beyond her playing days. "Founding the SAAC as part of the transition to the NCAA. It isn't in record books and it doesn't go on a resume (at least not anymore), but I think the administration's decision to move to the NCAA was a smart and difficult one," said Krier. "It set the groundwork to land in the current conference and actually recruit students to play for us."
Another key component that came out of the swimming careers of both Cleveland and Krier was the importance of fitness that Jaffe instilled in them. Cleveland says that Salem and Jaffe "helped me balance many different areas of my life. It's also helped me have a foundation of fitness that I try to maintain now that I'm not involved in team sports anymore." Krier was motivated by her own coach's ambitious pursuit. "Coach Jaffe demonstrated that sports and fitness are a lifelong pursuit," said Krier. "He also completed a nursing degree while coaching and that was a great example of flexibility and perseverance."
Sarah Brannock Bennett, who graduated from Salem with a bachelor of science degree in biology in 2010, was part of the last Spirits' swim team prior to its 2019 reintroduction. Bennett has a Top-3 individuual finish in her career, which came at the 2008 Guilford Dual, where she touched the wall in 32.97 in the 50 freestyle race.
She took part in the 400 freestyle relay on three occasions during her Salem career, earning ninth in the 2010 ODAC/Atlantic States Championships alongside Hope Kerr-Read, Laura Phillips and Paige Martin. That was one spot better than her 2009 unit, which consisted of Kara Berman, Elise LaViolette and Cleveland, that recorded a time of 4:24.06. Bennett's best relay finish also came at that same November 12, 2008 Guilford Dual, where she joined Berman, LaViolette and Olivia Rado to place second in a time of 5:15.29.
"Our swimming program was VERY small and consisted of several students that were swimming competitively for their first time," says Bennett of Salem swimming at that point. "We had a few Nepali students on our team that were still learning some of the strokes. Everyone on the team contributed to teaching and helping them with the subtle nuances of the stroke and ways to prevent them from being disqualified during a meet. Watching them learn the sport and even place in events was extremely inspiring."
Jaffe expanded on the importance of those Nepalese to the program. "By the time the 2009-10 season began we had brought between five and 10 students from Nepali that were really solid swimmers," said Jaffe. "They all had potential, but with some of them graduating we just couldn't gauge enough interest from others nearby to keep the program going beyond 2010."
One of the primary lessons that came out of Bennett's swimming career extended beyond competition itself—being diverse despite the situation that is at hand. Bennett, who works for C.B.R. Architectural Hardware Co. in nearby Lexington, N.C., helps design software for architects when working on specific projects. "Although I do not work in my intended field, the knowledge and social skills I gained while at Salem have been priceless," said Bennett.
"I knew that swimming wasn't a career for most of them, so I tried to make the best of the entire experience while they were swimming," said Jaffe. "I focused on preventing burn out, because I had seen that so much, and preventing against injury. I also put a lot of emphasis on the mental aspects, swimming hard and the overall fitness. I used to tell them it is '20 percent physical and 80 percent mental. It's your mind that is preventing you, not your muscles.'"
Bennett reminisces on her swimming career by saying "because our team was so small, in order to have swimmers competing in as many events as possible, Coach Jaffe would enter me in the more challenging events – allowing the newer swimmers to represent Salem in the shorter events. I am a freestyle sprinter through and through, but Jaffe entered me into the 200 butterfly at my very first meet. Much to my surprise, I finished the event – which is a PR I am proud of. Also, partly because of my anger and partly because of my pride, later in the event I swam my fastest recorded 50 freestyle. Although it is not a recorded time (because it was a split from one of my relays), I will forever cherish this record.
"Paige, Rachel and Sarah were a fun group," said Jaffe. "I enjoyed working with them and traveling with them. They were three different personalities that got along great. I have never been a fan of meets, but they made traveling fun. You had Rachel that was intense, focused and strong in all that she did. Sarah was relaxed and a joker and Paige was 'I will do whatever you want' and that combination made it easy."
Salem Swimming Returns
On February 12, 2010, Salem took part in the ODAC/Atlantic States Championships and it would be nine years before the Spirits competed in swimming again. That return came 3,522 days later on Saturday, October 5, 2019 at the Greensboro Aquatic Center (GAC) when the Spirits took part in the Guilford College Invite at the Greensboro Aquatic Center.
The sport of swimming has exploded in the Triad, Triangle and throughout North Carolina over the course of the last decade, highlighted by the opening of the GAC on August 26, 2011. The $19 million facility has served as the host for the 2012 U.S. Synchronized Swimming Team Trials, 2012 U.S. Masters Swimming Spring National Championships, AT&T National Diving Championships as well as organizational events for the YMCA, USA Swimming, NCAA and Atlantic Coast Conference.
Lapham, who now serves as the head coach and aquatics director at Salem, would be a prime example of the growth of swimming in the Triad. She developed a love of swimming at a young age that has followed her through her entire life, and attended South Stokes High School. She also became a surfer and record holder in backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle, because of being trained under coach Phyllis Steimel at the Rowan Aquatic Center in Salisbury, N.C.
Lapham has built her own swim club in the Triad—King Triton Aquatic Club—which is focused on teaching and training all levels of swimmers and empowering individuals through the sport of swimming—the same model that she has at Salem. Additionally, she is in the process of building a facility in King, N.C., that would house a pool that has 10 lanes and would seat 700 spectators. In addition to meets and practices for competitors, she envisions programs with the local school system, hosting Senior Games, teaching water safety and drowning prevention courses.
Lapham's energy and passion for swimming came full circle when the Spirits, when she joined the Salem College athletic staff prior to the start of the 2019-20 season. Salem swimming took part in nine meets over the course of the 2019-20 season and with Lapham's coaching were led individually by Raleigh, N.C., native Olivia Kleven.
Kleven established a single-season program-record for most Top-3 finishes (16) after competing in eight events over the course of the slate. She also set the single-season program-record for most first-place finishes (eight) in 2019-20.
Kleven left her indelible mark on the program record books by establishing the top times in the 100 breaststroke (1:16.31), 100 individual medley (1:10.07) and 200 breaststroke (2:51.76). She teamed with Corrin Shores, Ashleigh Nelson and Amy Stutzer to post the top time in program history in the 200 medley relay, posting a time of 2:09.38.
The 2021-22 swim team captain Allison Wakefield was also a key part of the success of the 2019-20 unit, earning seven Top-3 finishes in nine meets. She earned three first place finishes along the way, touching the wall first in the 400 freestyle of a dual meet with Pfeiffer (6:22.58), 500 freestyle versus both Greensboro and Guilford (7:20.20) and the 500 freestyle of the Pfeiffer Dual (7:17.68) on February 1, 2020.
Salem Swimming Future
The future got even brighter for Salem swimming in early August when Lapham announced on Thursday, August 12, that the Spirits will join the Sun Coast Conference, marking the first-ever league affiliation in program history. These aforementioned pioneers of the program, along with joining a conference and the growth of the sport in the Triad, will certain open the door for future legends involving Salem swimming.
ADDITIONAL EXCERPTS FROM INTERVIEW
Name (including maiden name): Rachel Fichthorn Cleveland
Sport(s) played: Cross county, swimming
Year of Graduation: 2009
Degree(s) Earned: Bachelor's in Psychology and History, Masters of Arts in Speech Language Pathology
What is your fondest sports moment during your career at Salem College? One year at the championship meet, we all got shirts and drew abs on them to wear for some reason. Another was during cross country when we had a race for mixed teams, those with men and women. And the boys were scared of me because I ran faster than them.
Who was the teammate or coach that inspired you the most while playing at Salem? My teammate Paige Coulter was so encouraging. I was always hard on myself and she helped me keep perspective on what I was actually accomplishing.
How has your degree from Salem helped you to achieve success in the business world? It's helped me balance many different areas of my life. It's also helped me have a foundation of fitness that I try to maintain now that I'm not involved in team sports anymore.
What team concept(s) have you applied in your business and personal life that have proven beneficial after competing at Salem? You have to learn to work with and get along with all different types of people though accomplish things. You don't often get to choose your coworkers but you still have to work together to accomplish what you need to.
What advice did you receive while playing at Salem that you apply to the course of your everyday life? Remembering to have fun while doing it. I was always so serious about training and practice, I needed to remember to enjoy it. And because I learned to enjoy it, I still enjoy running and swimming years after graduating.
Your success in the pool is well documented. Describe your mentality when you took the field to play a sport that you were obviously so successful at? I always expected the best out of myself. Yes I was racing against other people but I was always racing against my own times. I never wanted to let my teammates out myself down and always tried to the best I possibly could.
Name (including maiden name): Paige Coulter Krier
Sport(s) played: Volleyball: 2003-05 / Swimming: 2004-07
Year of Graduation: 2007
Degree(s) Earned: B.S. Biology Minors in Math & Religion
What advice would you give to student-athletes interested in playing at Salem? Say Yes! Salem does a wonderful job of supporting you as an individual, a student, and an athlete. You truly matter to the institution and the alums. Plus the small campus means you can sleep in longer before classes and practice!
What moment did you share/experience with a teammate(s) at Salem that bonded the team forever that season? The really short showers in the women's locker room. They only come up to maybe my shoulders...so showering after swim practice was our daily entertainment. There's nothing like trying to squat following a tough workout.
What advice did you receive while playing at Salem that you apply to the course of your everyday life? Playing sports at Salem was a wonderful experience. I got to see other schools and spend time building bonds with my teammates. The combination of small class sizes and athletics provided a unique opportunity to excel in all areas. I felt supported by everyone around me and appreciated the faculty support of athletics and the coaches support of academics. I also was able to make a difference in the pool, on the court and as the president of SAAC. You wear many hats at Salem and you will continue to do so throughout your life.
You have established multiple records for the Salem swimming program. How do you feel about being the "hunted" when it comes to people wanting to break your records, instead of the "hunter" and looking to set the records? I think I had one relay record at the time I graduated, but I was very happy that I wasn't the best swimmer! I just picked it up as a Sophomore and was glad to see recruits come in and shatter my record. It means Salem lives on and is appealing to a newer generation of elite student-athletes.
Your success in the pool is well documented. Describe your mentality when you took the pool to compete in a sport that you were obviously so successful at? Bravery! I'm thankful for the opportunity to learn a sport and play it in college. I didn't play (or swim) in high school and Salem took my enthusiasm and bravery and turned it into lifelong passions. My freshman year, there was a 'no cut' policy (unwritten) and without that type of philosophy, I probably would not have played volleyball or joined the swim team.