Swarthmore College Athletics

Jackie Heineman Gidas '76 holds the distinction of being the first female student-athlete in Swarthmore history to earn All-America status after her 16th-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke at the 1974-75 Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) national championship. In that era, women's sports did not make a distinction between small college or university championships, pitting Gidas against competitors from much larger institutions. In her freshman year, Gidas helped lead the Garnet to a 7-1 record in dual meets and a third-place finish at the AIAW Eastern Swimming Championships. The records and accolades continued for the Webster, N.Y. native and by the time of her graduation in 1976, she held program records in five individual events and factored into four top relay times.