GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The Gettysburg College men's swimming team was a well-established and highly successful program when Peter Casares '98 arrived on campus, but Casares managed to take the Bullets to another level on his way to a career worthy of the Hall of Athletic Honor.
 
Gettysburg was no slouch in the pool in the early 90s. The men's program had claimed six of the last seven conference titles prior to Casares' arrival in the fall of 1994, including the inaugural crown as a member of the Centennial Conference in the spring of that year.
 
The Glastonbury High School product assumed a prominent role from his first race as a freshman. At the end of that opening season, Casares had won or contributed to wins in 27 races and he held the team's top time in seven events, including his specialties, the 100- and 200-yard butterfly races. The Bullets would close the year with another conference championship in tow.
 
As a sophomore, Casares continued to fly through the water on the way to more accolades. Gettysburg claimed another Centennial title and the second-year swimmer played a major role, winning three individual events – the 500 freestyle, 100 butterfly, and 200 butterfly. To this day, he remains the only Bullet to win all three of those events at the Centennial meet.
 
Casares would also contribute to a pair of first-place finishes in the 400 and 800 free relays and an honorable mention showing in the 200 and 400 medley relays at the 1996 CC Championship. His times in the 100 and 200 fly events provisionally qualified him for the NCAA Division III Championships, not to mention set new program standards.
 
Casares was a major force in the pool for Gettysburg, but he was an equally important factor out of the pool as a teammate and friend. That was recognized by his teammates prior to the 1996-97 season when he was voted a team captain as a junior. He would repeat as a team captain during his senior season as well.
 
"Obviously being elected twice, once his junior year and once his senior year, as captain shows his teammates had a lot of respect for him," said head swimming coach Mike Rawleigh. "A lot of very good swimmers focus on themselves, but Pete also had the ability to focus on everybody around him - just to lift them up, encourage them, pat them on the back, motivate them. He was just a great leader - a natural leader."
 
Casares returned the respect by helping the Bullets continue their domination. Gettysburg beat out Swarthmore College for the conference title in 1997 and Casares grabbed all-conference accolades in five events. He contributed to a Centennial record in the 400 free relay, while also resetting his own record in the 200 fly.
 

Those first three years paved the way for arguably the greatest season in the long history of the men's swimming program. The 1997-98 campaign was one to remember for Casares and his teammates. The team went undefeated (7-0) in dual-meet competition, marking the first undefeated season in school history. At the Centennial Conference Championship, the Bullets out-distanced the field by nearly 200 points.
 
Casares claimed his second conference title in the 100 fly, becoming the first and only Bullet to date to win the event twice. He also led the 200 and 400 freestyle relays to conference titles.
 
Casares and teammates Rich Carroll '99, Todd Peters '98, and Dave Lavigne '01 all headed to St. Louis for the NCAA Division III Championship. The quartet produced the best team finish in school history by locking up the No. 12 position. They grabbed All-America First Team accolades in the 200 free and 400 free, while gaining honorable mention status in the 800 free.
 
Individually, Casares played his part by capturing national status in both butterfly races. He took 10th in the 100 fly and 16th in the 200 fly. No other Bullet has earned All-America honors in either butterfly event in program history.
 
At the end of his tenure, Casares had led Gettysburg to four conference titles, a 29-3 dual-meet record, and the program's highest national finish. He left the pool holding eight school records and his time in the 200 fly of 1:54.07 currently sits as the longest-standing program mark.
 
After graduating with a degree in psychology, Casares entered the collegiate coaching ranks. He served as a graduate assistant at Miami (Ohio) University before moving on to national powerhouse Kenyon College as an assistant coach. In 2001-02, Casares stepped into the role of interim head coach and he promptly led the Lords and Ladies to national titles. Following a five-year stint as head coach at Wabash College, he took over the head job at Bates College in 2007. This past spring, Casares was named the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Women's Swimming and Diving Coach of the Year.
 
Casares will be inducted into the Hall of Athletic Honor on Friday, Sept. 19, at 6 p.m. inside the College Union Building Ballroom.
 
"It is a tremendous honor to be selected as one of Gettysburg's best and I thank my coaches and teammates for making it a reality," said Casares. "Without a doubt, Gettysburg College gave me the opportunities and skills needed to reach my goals."