Bio

Only a few people remember when Stephanie LaGue represented Goucher College at the 2005 NCAA Division III Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships in Holland, Michigan, that she went there to compete in three events.

Most don’t recall that she placed 34th overall in the 200-yard individual medley or that she finished in 20th place in the 200-yard backstroke. What made LaGue’s trip to nationals so memorable to so many is what she accomplished in the 100 back. She was seeded ninth, but completed the event in 58.87 seconds, good for sixth place, making her Goucher’s first Division III All-American in the sport of women’s swimming in 13 years.

The 2005 Division III national champion in the 100 back was Brittany Sasser from Amherst, who touched 2.84 seconds ahead of LaGue.

Less than a month earlier, LaGue became a four-time Capital Athletic Conference champion in the 200 IM, plus she also placed first in both back events, boosting the total number of CAC titles she earned during her four years at Goucher to seven.

In balloting by the conference’s head coaches, LaGue was selected CAC Women’s Swimmer of the Year in 2002-03 and 2004-05; she was her sport’s Rookie of the Year in the CAC in 2001-02.

Tom Till, LaGue’s head swim coach for of her time here at Goucher, had this to say about Stephanie:

“Stephanie was truly an asset to the program from day one.  Her contributions to the team quickly helped establish not only individual records but team relay records too.  She was a team player and a leader.  She was the conference record holder in 3 events and held at one time 10 school records (6 individual and 4 relay).

She still holds 3 individual and 4 relays records for the Gophers and has 13 top 10 Goucher times out of a possible 14 individual events...the 1650 freestyle was the only event she never swam in college.  She worked hard in and out of the pool.”

Till also appreciated her work ethic and the impact it had on other swim team members.  The pool was not the only place where that work ethic was demonstrated as LaGue achieved a 3.6 overall grade point average.

“She came to Goucher and helped transform a struggling, rebuilding program,” says Till, “to one that became a top tier conference swim program”.

Just prior to her graduation in May 2005, the four-time letterwinner was named the recipient of one of four post-graduate scholarships awarded by the Maryland Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, which she planned to use to pursue a post-graduate degree in education and foreign languages. Later that same year, she was selected Maryland’s representative for 2005 NCAA Woman of the Year, which recognizes outstanding female student-athletes who have excelled in academics, athletics and community leadership. She was one of only six state winners to come from a Division III institution that year.

LaGue, who still holds the school records in both back events and the 200 IM, is also one of 10 people who have had their jerseys – or in her case, her swimming suit and cap – retired by Goucher’s intrecollegiate athletics department. That happened in 2008.