DAN DUNIGAN

Athlete, North Penn High School, 1990

4 Varsity Swimming Letters
1990 PIAA STATE TEAM CHAMPIONS; Team Captain
1988, 1989 & 1990 NPHS Booster Club, Outstanding Swimmer
1990 District 1 Outstanding Swimmer
1990 Eight Time Team and Pool Record Holder
3 Time NISCA All-American and 3 Time PIAA ALL-STATE
1990 PIAA STATE CHAMPION, 100 BUTTERFLY,
2nd Place 100 Freestyle
1990 STATE CHAMPION 4 X 100 FREESTYLE RELAY & STATE RECORD
1990 District 1, 1st Place 100 Butterfly,
100 Freestyle and Record setting 4 x 100 Freestyle Relay
Team record for 4 years: 56 wins and 2 losses,
4 SOL & 2 District 1 Team Titles, 1 PIAA STATE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
LaSalle University, 1994 Team Captain, 4 Varsity Letters
1993 & 94 HORIZON LEAGUE Outstanding Performer
LaSalle University, B.S., Business/Finance, Cum Laude, 1994
INDUCTED 2014

Dan began his swimming career with the Fischer’s Swim Team in the summer of 1977 and soon transitioned into year round swimming with the North Penn Aquatics Club. In 1986, Dan joined the North Penn High School Swimming and Diving team. Little did anyone imagine the impact that Dan would have on the North Penn Swimming program.

Capable of swimming almost any event in the lineup, Dan primarily focused his talents on butterfly and freestyle. Dan earned four varsity letters; was recognized as North Penn’s Most Valuable Swimmer in 1989 and 1990; and set a total of eight North Penn Team and Pool records.

As a senior in 1990, and the co-captain of the team, Dan’s determination and many years of hard work began to pay off. Going into the District I Championships, Dan was determined to swim his best two events, the 100 butterfly and the 100 freestyle. This posed a serious challenge since these events occurred directly one after the other in the order of events. Swimming back to back events would mean that Dan would finish the 100 butterfly, spend a few minutes warming down and then swim the 100 freestyle. It was an unheard of test of mental and physical endurance; but if he could qualify for states in both events the PIAA State Swimming Championships would be held over two days and there would be one day of rest between the events rather than 15 minutes. In what was an exceptional display of athleticism, Dan won both the 100 butterfly and 100 freestyle at Districts. Before the days end he was a three time District One champion having also swum the anchor leg of 400 Freestyle Relay. The 400 Freestyle  Relay of Matt Krystopa, Derek Williams, Scott Walker and Dan Dunigan broke  the District I 400 Free Relay record and this became the final achievement in crowning North Penn the 1990 District 1 Swimming and Diving Champions.

The 1990 PIAA State Championships was the final step in what had been a perfect season for North Penn. Based on the pre-meet seeding; North Penn and Bethel Park entered the PIAA State meet as the team favorites. In the first day of competition, Dan won his first state championship in the 100 butterfly. The gamble at districts had paid big dividends for Dan and the team, as they began to distance themselves from Bethel Park in team competition. In the second day of competition he was touched out for first and took second place in the 100 freestyle. The 400 Freestyle Relay also won gold and broke the state record. In 1990, the North Penn Swimming and Diving team won the PIAA State title behind the scoring of Kevin Faikish, John Raeburn, Kyle Kroberger, Mike Wilkens, Scott Walker, Matt Krystopa, Derek Williams and Dan Dunigan.