A legend in the California Junior College ranks, Mark Eldridge ended a stellar career at Palomar College in 2010, completing his 32-year tenure with a record of 1083-304-6. In 1993, Mark’s team (our very own Andrea (Ferracone) Visser played on that team) had a record of 50-3 — a school record — while also collecting his 500th career win that season. He won his 1000th game in 2005 while embarking on a 42-6 campaign. Beyond his won/loss record, Mark also helped 153 of his players land roster spots at four-year institutions and coached 29 community college All-Americans.

Mark was inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame in 2012. At that time, he was the first Hall of Fame inductee from a Cal JC school and the third junior college coach inductee overall. Also a highly successful women’s golf coach, in 2008 he was named as the Pacific Coast Conference Women’s Coach of the Year for all sports. Mark was also a Canadian National Softball team assistant coach and the head coach of the Spanish National Team for four years.

He was a three-sport athlete (football, baseball, track & field) at Palomar, and went on to start at safety for the Washington State football team and played football and was a javelin thrower at Long Beach State.

In 13 seasons as UC San Diego head coach, Scott McGihon brought great success to the Tritons’ swimming and diving teams. McGihon, a 1990 graduate of UC Irvine, was a four-year varsity swimmer for the Anteaters, and in 1993 graduated from the University of Utah College of Law.

Scott is a Level 5 ASCA coach, which is the highest level of certification for coaches in the United States. During his tenure at UCSD, he was tabbed as the swimming Coach of the Year at the Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference Championships a total of 8 times.

On the men’s side, Scott has helped produce six Olympic Trials standards, 15 individual NCAA national championships, 95 individual All-Americans, 16 relays named All-American, ten UCSD Athletes of the Year, the 1999, 2004 and 2011 PCSC Swimmer of the Year, the 2000 GTE Academic All-American of the Year, 2008 NCAA Division II National Championship Male Swimmer of the Meet, and the 2004-05 NCAA Division II National Swimmer of the Year. His men’s teams finished in the top 5 at the NCAA championships 5 times during his career.

On the women’s side, the Tritons under Scott’s watch had the 2000 NCAA Swimmer of the Year, 2003-04 and 2004-05 NCAA Woman of the Year, six U.S. Nationals standards, 18 individual NCAA national champions, four relay NCAA champions, two Olympic Trials standards, 80 individual All-Americans, 27 relay All-Americans and 16 UCSD Athletes of the Year. Ina ll 13 seasons. His women’s team finished in the top 5 at the NCAA championships every year.

Scott resides in San Diego, Calif., with his wife Kristi and sons Chase and Blake. Kristi was an alternate for the 2002 USA Bobsled Olympic Team, as well as a member of the USA Track and Field National Team from 1994-1998.