North Central College Athletics

A search for balance in his college experience led to even greater athletic success for Mark Townsend ’91. He flourished in a close-knit environment and wound up becoming one of the most decorated competitors in the history of the Cardinals’ men’s swimming program.
A holder of 14 NCAA Division III All-America awards, the most of any North Central swimmer, Townsend was initially recruited to the University of Iowa after high school. He soon sought a transfer to a program that would allow for greater focus on his academic pursuits.

“I was training too much and not prioritizing my classwork, and I needed a change,” Townsend said. “My mom, my dad and my brother were all North Central alumni, so my mom suggested I look into enrolling at NCC.”

Upon arriving in Naperville, Townsend was still undecided on continuing as an athlete at the collegiate level, but came away from an initial meeting impressed with head coach (and 2008 North Central Athletic Hall of Fame inductee) Dennis Ryan and quickly fit in with the rest of the team.

“It was a great group of student athletes, and we all seemed to get along real well,” Townsend said. “It seemed like Everybody enjoyed swimming and we didn’t have any problems with retaining swimmers. People came back year after year because they liked the team atmosphere.”
Finding new motivation and adapting quickly to Ryan’s training philosophy of emphasizing quality over quantity, Townsend soon began achieving national-level success in the pool. He earned All-America honors in eight different events, including three straight years in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke. He posted third-place national finishes in the 200- and 400-yard medley relays in 1990 and in the 100 backstroke as a senior in 1991.

Townsend also claimed four College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) individual championships, three of which occurred in the 100 backstroke, and finished his career as a holder of seven school records. He remains the Cardinals’ record holder in the 50-yard freestyle as well as the 200- and 400-yard medley and freestyle relays.

Soon after graduation, Townsend cofounded the Maverick Swim Club in Naperville, which now includes more than 400 young swimmers. As the head coach of the club since its creation, Townsend has frequently found himself guided by his experience at North Central.

“I’ve been coaching swimming for more than 20 years, and a lot of my foundations and philosophies come from what I did with Coach Ryan,” Townsend said. “I’ve tried to foster a group environment that is supportive which helps to motivate the swimmers to achieve success and enjoy what they’re doing.  I try to make swimming fun for my athletes.  When they are having fun with the sport, they end up coming to practice more often which usually leads to significant improvement.”