Gettysburg College Athletics

Missy West established a presence in the pool from the outset of her time at Gettysburg, and that determination and fortitude carried her through a record-breaking career.
 
West exploded onto the scene as a first-year, claiming Centennial Conference titles in both the 100 and 200 yard breaststroke events and leading the Bullets to a perfect dual record and conference team title. That success carried through to her sophomore year when she set school records in both breaststroke races on the way to helping Gettysburg win another league crown.
 
After getting a taste of nationals in her first two years, West set a new standard for Gettysburg swimmers as a junior. She became the program’s first-ever All-American in a breaststroke event by claiming honorable mention with a 15th-place finish in the 200 in 2000. She claimed her second conference title in the 200 breaststroke, reset her own program records in both breaststroke races, and led Gettysburg to another conference team championship.
 
As a team captain in 2000-01, West improved her national standing in the 200 breaststroke with a 14th-place finish to earn All-America status once again. All told, she was a seven-time conference champ and helped Gettysburg post a 34-1 dual-meet record. At graduation, she was awarded the Clair B., Mary E., and Constance Noerr (Baker) Memorial Award for proficiency in athletics, scholarship, and character.

A native of West Hartford, Conn., West graduated from Gettysburg with a degree in psychology.