Promising Beginnings (1967 – 1984)

The ​North Baltimore Aquatic Club (NBAC) began with eight swimmers in the summer of 1967. The team, originally started by Murray Stephens and Tim Pierce was incorporated in the spring of 1968 as an Amateur Athletic Union member club. Excellence was incorporated into the ethos of the club early and Bob Gavin represented a nascent NBAC at the 1968 Olympic Trials in Long Beach, California. In 1972, NBAC sent its first women, Vicki English and Paula Crawford, to the Olympic Trials. In 1981, NBAC crowned its first National Champion at U.S. Nationals, Theresa Andrews in the 100 backstroke. Andrews earned her place on the 1984 United States Olympic Team and won two gold medals in Los Angeles (backstroke, medley relay). Two additional NBAC products represented their country at the Olympics in 1984: Patrick Kennedy (Team USA-200 butterfly) and Ricardo Aldabe (Spain-200 backstroke).

Momentum Builds (1984 – 1999)

In the mid-1980s, two key coaching figures joined NBAC: Tom Himes as Head Age Group Coach in the spring of 1985 and Patricia Stephens in the fall of 1987. Coinciding with these new hires, the NBAC swim cap grew to become a common sight on the international stage. The 1986 Goodwill Games in Moscow, U.S.S.R., saw the introduction of Julia Gorman to the international podium as she took home silver in the 200 butterfly. The Stephens’ purchase of Meadowbrook Swim Club was finalized in 1987 and the team began planning for the push towards the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. At the 1992 U.S. Olympic Trials, 15-year-old Anita Nall put the swimming world on notice by setting a pair of World Records in the 200 breaststroke, breaking her own prelims record in the finals. In Barcelona, Nall became the youngest gold medalist in nearly two decades with a gold in medley relay accompanying individual silver (100 breast) and bronze (200 breast). Former NBAC swimmer Jill Johnson also represented the USA in 1992, placing in the B final of the 200 breaststroke.

Entering the next Olympic quad, NBAC’s approach to development continued to guide young women and men to national and international success. The women’s team won a series of U.S. National Team Championships beginning in 1994. Also in 1994, the Phelps family began to impact the swimming world. Whitney Phelps won her first National Championship in the 200 butterfly and placed 9^th in the World Championships. Beth Botsford joined Whitney Phelps on the U.S. National Team for the Pan Pacific Games in August of 1995 and Murray Stephens was selected as an assistant coach for those games. Atlanta hosted the Centennial Olympic Games in 1996 and a remarkably strong NBAC contingent headed south together. Age group phenom Beth Botsford rose to the occasion qualifying for both backstroke events, Whitney Metzler represented the United States in the 400 individual medley and, again, Stephens was named an assistant coach. Botsford won the 100 backstroke gold and, like Theresa Andrews, swam to a second gold medal in the USA’s 400 medley relay.  Metzler swam a lifetime best effort to make finals and finish eighth in 400 IM. Former NBAC swimmer Casey Barrett represented Canada at the 1996 games, placing in the B Final of the 200 butterfly.  That year, Murray Stephens was named Coach of the Year by both the American Swimming Coaches Association and United States Swimming and a young 31-year-old coach, Bob Bowman, joined the NBAC staff. Following Atlanta ’96, Beth Botsford and Anita Nall continued to gather national and international accolades at the World Championships, Pan American games and World University Games. In 1999, NBAC hosted the first of its two FINA World Cup meets at the University of Maryland.

Leading into the New Millennium, NBAC becomes the Archetype for Club Swimming Around the Globe (2000 - 2008)

Largely a result of the women’s team success in the 90’s, a new symbol of excellence emerged on swimming’s world stage: a simple white cap with a United States flag underscoring four clear letters, ‘N B A C’. In the year 2000, this cap adorned a young teen named Michael Phelps at the United States Olympic Trials. Finishing second in the 200 butterfly, Michael became the youngest male swimmer in 68 years to make the team. He was joined at the Sydney Olympics by senior coach Bob Bowman where Michael finished 5^th in his Olympics debut. Returning to Baltimore, a relentless assault on the National Age Group Records by Phelps led to NBAC’s milestone of surpassing 100 such records. Coaches Paul Yetter and Rachel Fishbain joined the staff in 2001/02 and the club’s focus on the Olympic quadrennial was placed in stark focus by symbol similar to the competition cap: a practice cap with ‘Athens 2004’ emblazoned on one side.

Michael Phelps’ association with the club is well documented. NBAC, with its community-focused mission had guided Phelps’ sisters Whitney and Hilary to national swimming accolades in their own right. The youngest, Michael, as they say, tagged along. Michael developed into a solid young swimmer, earning his first National Age Group record at age 10 and the rest is history. With the classic white cap as Phelps’ only constant armor, Michael toured the globe starting in the early 2000s and re-wrote the history books. The most decorated Olympian of all time. The ‘Baltimore Bullet’ – the ‘GOAT’. The NBAC culture and thoughtful development program resulted in a world record by the age 15 (200 butterfly) and a first World Championships gold in Fukuoka, Japan by 2001. The scope of the hardware haul is hard to quantify: 28 total Olympic medals (23 gold), 8 golds at a single games (Beijing), 82 medals across major international long-course competitions, and individual long-course records in 5 disciplines (200 freestyle, 100 and 200 butterfly, 200 and 400 individual medley). Perhaps most importantly, Michael is now a loving husband, a doting father and a fierce advocate for athletes’ wellness and mental health.

While the white cap became synonymous with Phelps in the 2000s, the club’s mission and values continued to hold true as the club developed a cohort of young athletes that represented Baltimore on the regional, national and international stage. This broad excellence began a run of consecutive USA Swimming Gold Club designations, beginning in 2002. In 2003, another Baltimore-area swimming family began to make their mark as 12-year-old Courtney Kalisz set a series of National Age Group records over a six-month period. Courtney would go on to swim at the Olympic Trials in 2004 and 2008. Emily Goetsch won her first national title (100 butterfly) and was tapped to represent Team USA’s 2003 ‘Dual in the Pool’ against Australia. As the United States Olympic team for Athens 2004 came together, a dozen NBAC athletes descended on the Trials meet in Long Beach, California. Micheal’s assault on the record books continued as he earned 8 individual placings on the team. Harford’s Katie Hoff, coached by Paul Yetter, earned an Olympic Team spot for the 200 and 400 individual medley. Bowman was named as a Men’s Team Assistant Coach. Hoff finished seventh in her first international meet and Phelps medaled 8 times in Athens.

In fall 2004, the Athens cap was retired in favor of a cap emblazoned with ‘Beijing 2008’ projected over the Chinese symbol for ‘excellence.’ Katie Hoff and Courtney Kalisz continued to represent team USA internationally. New athletes also joined the national and international scene: Felicia Lee became the newest member of the NBAC NAG record holders club (13-14 year-old Girls’ 100 yard butterfly), Kirsten Groome won the US Open Water 5k Championships and wore the flag at the Open Water World Championships in Italy, Dan Madwed joined Hoff on the Pan Pacs team, Ian Rowe joined Courtney Kalisz on the World Youth Championship Team; and Michele King joined Courtney, Dan, and Kirsten for the World University Games. In a span of 16 days, the NBAC cap was found in the water on three different continents across both hemispheres. As the 2008 Olympic Year rolled around, Liz Pelton, Austin Surhoff and Andi Staub joined the USA Junior National Team competing at the Victorian Championships in Melbourne, Australia; Pelton and Surhoff also attending the FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in Monterey, Mexico. The exploits of NBAC at the US Olympic Trials and Olympics in 2008 are legend: 7 swimmers under the age of 18 competing at the trials, Hoff 5 for 5 at the trials with individual events including a 400 IM World Record, Yetter joining the US Olympic Coaching staff marking the first club team to have three Team USA Olympic coaches and, of course, Michael going 8 for 8 golds. The ‘London 2012’ practice caps were waiting for swimmers on the return from Beijing.

Building Beyond Beijing (2009 - 2018)

As NBAC entered the London Olympic quadrennial, athlete members and coaches continued to represent the club and country on the national and world stage. New names were etched into the Club’s legacy. In 2008-2009, Jessie Krebs and Felicia Lee joined Andi Staub and Liz Pelton to set a new NAG in the 15-16 woman’s 800 free relay; Brennan Morris joined Pelton and Phelps on Team USA for the World Championships in Rome; NBAC won Junior Nationals that year with Felecia Lee, Camryne Morris and Drew Cosgarea leading the way. The 2010 Pan Pacific Championships saw Allison Schmitt and Scott Spann join Phelps and Pelton, with Schmitt winning the 200 free and Liz contributing a silver in the 200 back. The same foursome traveled to Shanghai, China for the FINA World Championships in 2011. Finally, new coaches came to Baltimore to learn from the group in the run up to London 2012, Erik Posegay and Stevie Coble.

The London Olympic Trials featured 24 NBAC qualifiers, with Phelps and Schmitt earning roster spots. Schmitt became NBAC’s sixth individual medalist with golds in 200 free, 800 free relay and 400 medley relay.  For the first time, NBAC contributed to the United States Paralympic Team as Ian Silverman brought gold home from London in the S10 400 freestyle. Silverman would go on to capture S10 World Records in the 800 and 1500 freestyle as well as the 400 IM. Back in the United States that Olympic year, NBAC won Junior Nationals with Gillian Ryan taking the high point award.  At Junior Pan Pacs in Hawaii, relatively newcomers to the national scene Chase Kalisz, Annie Zhu, Cierra Runge and Becca Mann all medaled. The caps were switched to read ‘Rio’ and the swimmers returned to the pool.

The next Olympic quad was marked by newcomers from the local community as well as newcomers to Baltimore who sought to train and learn from the Club’s athletes and coaches. Connor Dwyer would join Chase Kalisz at the Barcelona World Cup in 2013. Becca Meyers joined Silverman as an athlete on the USA Paralympic Team, medaling at the IPC Paralympic World Championship in Montreal. At Team Day and the start of the 2013-2014 season, NBAC inaugurated two memorial scholarships in memory of Alec Cosgarea and Louis Lowenthal, two swimmers who passed away in 2012.  Ian Silverman won the Trischa Zorn award for best performance of the year by an adapted swimmer.  Frenchman Yannick Agnel, Danish swimmer Lotte Friis and Paralympian Jessica Long joined the High Performance training group. That year, Sierra Schmidt swept the distance events at Junior Nationals.  Ian Silverman, Jessica Long and Becca Meyers all represented Team USA at the Pan Pac Para Swimming competition in Pasadena, California.  The three swam to 17 total medals, 11 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze. Jessica Long’s stellar swimming career would include competing at six Paralympic Games, winning 30 medals (17 gold) and wining over 50 World Championship medals. She continues to work on the national and international stage as an author, speaker and advocate. The 2018 quad concluded in Rio, where NBAC sent a record number of swimmers including Team USA’s Michael Phelps, Allison Schmitt, Chase Kalisz and Cierra Runge, Demmark’s Lotte Friis, Macedonia’s Ana Bogdanovski, and Egypt’s Muhammad Hussein. Phelps and Bogdanovski were selected by their respective national Olympic committees to carry the flag in the opening ceremonies. Each USA athlete medaled. A month later, Becca Meyers and Long brought 10 medals home.

The Future of Club Swimming (2019 - present)

The transition into the Tokyo Olympic quad brought a change in practice cap and a change in the landscape of American and International swimming culture. The culture of post-graduate, international-level, swimmers coalescing at a club program to train was in decline. Instead, swimmers and coaches moved to university structures where international level swimmers formed professional groups and could access additional resources intended for a broader population of student athletes. The departure of international post-graduates empowered coach Tom Himes to recruit Paul Yetter back to the Club and focus on the developmental aspects laid out in the mission and vision statements for the up and coming next generation. This focus continued to reap rewards, with Chase Kalisz returning the 400 IM gold medal to the NBAC family in Tokyo 2020. Chase would go on to represent Team USA in Paris 2024. Jessica Long also continued to represent the United States in Tokyo.