Jack Medica

While at the University of Washington, Jack Medica ran up a phenomenal record at the NCAA championships. He won three individual events (the maximum allowed) three years in a row, and as a one-man team, he placed Washington third behind the big squads from Michigan and Iowa. One year he was awarded a Michigan varsity letter because, although he never attended Michigan, he took enough points away from Yale and Iowa that Michigan was able to win the team championship, and the Michigan coach, Mann, sent Medica a letter sweater. Jack Medica won 10 AAU individual titles and set 11 world records. His 1935 200m freestyle record was unbeaten for nine years; his 400m freestyle record, set in 1934, stood for seven years; and in a sport of frequent record breaking, the length of time for which his records stood gives an indication of the stature of his performances. After retiring from competition, Jack Medica coached at Columbia and Penn.