A new champion

When the cheers finally died down and Gregg Parini had a chance to reflect, he called his team's victory a testament not only to hard work but also to "the power of imagination."

Parini had just coached the Denison University men's swim team to its first Division III national championship. In a meet that came down to the final event, the Denison swimmers beat Kenyon by one point, ending the Lords' thirty-one-year winning streak. So it was fitting, in a way, that Parini used the word "imagination," an idea always pushed by Kenyon coach Jim Steen.

Gregg Parini '82 swam for Steen's first three national championship teams at Kenyon. As a student, he was an eighteen-time All-American and became the first Division III swimmer to finish the 50-yard freestyle in under 21 seconds.

"I've been competing for [Steen] or competing against him for twenty-eight years," said Parini, who has been the head men's and women's swim coach at Denison since 1988. "Jim pushed me to be my best as a swimmer and has contributed immensely to my development as a coach."

Parini's coaching accomplishments also include a national championship for the Denison women's team in 2001—a win that ended the Ladies' seventeen-title streak. His Big Red men's and women's teams have consistently finished in the top ten at nationals, while also winning their share of conference championships. Parini has been named NCAA Division III Swimming Coach of the Year eight times.

The secrets of his success? In addition to a competitive spirit—"I hate losing more than I love winning," said Parini—he's "naturally curious about human performance" and is always looking for ways to help his swimmers improve. He also describes himself as "not easily discouraged," an optimist who finds opportunities in setbacks as well as successes.

"I am relentless in my pursuit of my goals and not easily distracted—my wife says I am just stubborn."

Parini stressed that his team's championship was gratifying "not because we beat Kenyon but because we finally got to the mountain top. Our goal was never to break the streak but simply to win the meet."