The school record holder in the 1650 freestyle (17:46.65), TanyaBlakeman '84 continues to rank among the top ten Franklin &Marshall swimmers in the 100 free (9th, 55.39), 500 free (5th,5:10.23), 1000 free (4th, 10:48.39) from times recorded during hertwo-year career in 1981 and 1982. All-America selection as afreshman as a member of the Diplomats' 400 yard medley team ofBarbara Schumacher '83, Sheila Wren '84 and Lynn Warter '81, whichplaced second at the AIWA championships in an F&M record timeof 4:14.9, Blakeman's best season came in 1982.
The 1982 Franklin & Marshall women's swimming Most ValuableAthlete, she made an assault on the College's record book bysetting six individual and four relay school records in her secondand final season in the pool. She established a Middle AtlanticConference (MAC) record in the 500 freestyle and qualified for fiveevents, but did not swim in the 100 free, at the first ever NCAAWomen's Swimming Division III Championship Meet at the Universityof Massachusetts-Boston.
At the NCAA Championships, she captured first place and thenational championship in the 500 free in F&M record time of5:10.23 and finished second in the 200 free (1:58.82) and 1650 free(17:47.65) to obliterate the previous F&M and national records.In her last event, Blakeman finished 12 the 200 butterfly in anF&M record time of 2:19.41. A native of Rio Piedras, PuertoRico and a graduate of the Robinson School, she resides in Upton,Massachusetts and is the seventh women's swimming coach/athletenamed to the Hall of Fame.
