Male Athlete of the Year: Doug Lennox '09

Correction appended

For most collegiate swimmers, five All-America honors in one season would be the ultimate dream. But for senior swimmer Doug Lennox, his NCAA accomplishments did not hold a flame (pun intended) to having the opportunity to compete in the Olympic Games.

One of three current Princeton students who participated in Beijing last August, Lennox competed in the 100 and 200 butterfly for Puerto Rico. He finished 38th in both events, which were later won by American Michael Phelps.

But Lennox’ performance at swimming’s biggest stage is not the reason he was picked by The Daily Princetonian as the Male Athlete of the Year in 2009. The senior from Lake Forest, Ill., returned to Princeton this fall with a determination to better himself and his teammates. A tri-captain for the 2008-09 season, Lennox led the Tigers to an undefeated season and the program’s third Ivy League title in four years.

At the 2009 Ivy League Championships, Lennox won both the 100 and 200 fly and headlined a group of six Tigers who travelled to College Station, Texas, for the NCAA Championships. Though the Tigers failed to accomplish their goal of posting a top-20 finish, Lennox was gracious following his final collegiate swim.

“We had higher hopes than what we placed, but we showed a lot of strength coming back after the most intense meet of our lives three weekends ago,” said Lennox, who later earned All-America honors in both butterfly events as well as the 200, 400 and 800 freestyle relays. “We executed as best we could. It is all a learning experience that will go toward the future for the younger guys.”

It would be impossible to overestimate Lennox’ stamp on Princeton swimming. He currently holds the program’s fastest times in the 100 and 200 fly, as well as in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle and 200 individual medley. He also holds the second-best Princeton time in the 100 backstroke.

But his legacy is more than just numbers. As a captain this year and a team leader for the past four seasons, Lennox has exemplified the Princeton student-athlete. His dedication to the swim team and his unwavering sportsmanship make him the ideal selection for the 2009 Daily Princetonian Male Athlete of the Year.

Correction:

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that this year’s senior class is the first since the 1997 class to win three conference titles. In fact, the Class of 2007 also won three conference titles.