Marci Hennessey became the first national champion in Allegheny women's swimming history as a freshman in 1987, winning the title in the 100 yard backstroke with a time of 0:59.43. It was the beginning of a very successful career for Hennessey, as she earned eight All-American honors during her Allegheny career.
She is still the school record holder in the 100 yard backstroke, swimming a time of 0:59.27 in 1991, while she also graduated as the school record holder in the 200 yard backstroke, 200 yard individual medley, and 400 yard medley relay. As a team, the Gators finished no lower than 11th at the NCAA Division-III National Championships, including a pair of fourth-place finishes.
A 1991 Allegheny grad, Hennessey, a native of Lynnfield, Mass., was a first ballot inductee into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001.
