Athlete 1992 - 1996
A national championship, five individual all-America accolades, seven program records and a successful coaching career are just some of the accomplishments that have earned Mike Westphal ’96 entry into the Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame.
As the first male swimmer in program history – and one of just three in all – to be crowned a national champion, Westphal helped the Wildcats achieve three Northwest Conference titles and four consecutive top-five finishes at the NAIA Championships.
Winning both the 1,650-yard freestyle and the 400 individual medley, the latter in a new conference record, Westphal helped Linfield claim a program-first conference title in 1993, defeating two-time defending champion Willamette by more than 100 points.
Rising to the occasion on the national stage, Westphal claimed all-America honors in one of three events he qualified for during that rookie season, placing fifth in the 400 IM with a school-record time of 4 minutes, 11.90 seconds. He also registered a record-breaking performance in the 100 breaststroke, placing seventh, just out of all-America consideration. He shared team Rookie of the Year honors after setting a total of four school records.
Westphal repeated as 1,650 freestyle champion at the 1994 league championships, and added another all-America honor to his resume with a sixth-place effort in the 400 medley relay. He also reached the finals of the 200 breaststroke, and registered two more top-15 finishes in the 100 breaststroke and 400 individual medley at the NAIA Championships.
Three individual and one relay conference championships earned Westphal honors as the NCIC Swimmer of the Year as a junior in 1995. He set a conference record en route to his third consecutive 400 IM title, reclaimed the top spot in the 1,650 freestyle and added another title in the 200 breaststroke. He also anchored Linfield’s 800 freestyle relay, giving the Wildcats their first league crown in that event.
Later that winter, Westphal reached the pinnacle of success: an NAIA championship in the 400-yard individual medley, clocking in a school record time of 4 minutes, 3.77 seconds. He was a six-time individual all-American that year, placing third in the 200 breaststroke and fifth in the 1,650 freestyle, both in program record times, and helping Linfield achieve a trio of top-five finishes in the relay events.
Westphal was honored as Linfield’s Male Athlete of the Year as well as the swim program’s MVP.
In his final season as a Wildcat, and second as team captain, Westphal was a member of two conference champion relay squads and repeated as an NAIA All-American in the 400 IM, placing third. He was also a member of three top-three relay teams at the national championships.
Over his four-year career, Westphal attained a total of five individual and seven relay all-America honors and owned program records in seven events. To this day, his performances in the 400 individual medley and 200 breaststroke top the Linfield all-time list.
Almost immediately upon graduating from Linfield in 1996, Westphal embarked on his own coaching career, starting out at Capital High School and the Evergreen Swim Club before moving to the college ranks. After stretches at the University of the Pacific and UNLV, he joined on with the Hoosiers of Indiana University, where he has been for the last 12 seasons.
As associate head coach at Indiana, Westphal has mentored two national champions and 49 All-America swimmers. He also served on the coaching staff of the Ukrainian National Team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Westphal and his wife Sarah reside in Bloomington with their daughter, Hope.
