NCAA Director of Championships Wayne Burrow Leaving Organization

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, February 12. EVERYONE in the U.S. swimming structure knows who Chuck Wielgus is, same with John Leonard. Both are at the top of the administrative food chain at USA Swimming and the American Swim Coaches Association, respectively, and are known to be some of the most dedicated and strident proponents of the sport of swimming within the U.S.

However, there are a lot of unsung heroes around the sport that provide a lot of support for swimming within the various agencies and structures that govern the sport in the U.S. The sport will lose one of those people at the end of the week as NCAA Director of Championships Wayne Burrow has decided to leave the NCAA after more than 17 years with the organization.

As the Director of Championships at the NCAA and as a member of the board of directors at both USA Swimming and USA Diving, Burrow has had the thankless task of trying to balance two separate movements within the sport since working his first swimming and diving championship in 1996.

With USA Swimming and Diving being completely focused on the every-four-years Olympic movement, that goal is sometimes at odds with the NCAA's annual national championships focal point. Burrow has been the person called upon to work both sides of the aisle in many cases, and has usually come up with solid compromises that keep the integrity of both goals in shape.

Burrow was also instrumental in working with Swimming World in 2008 to stream the entire NCAA Men's and Women's Division I Swimming and Diving Championships live for the first time in the history of the meets. Without Burrow's forward thinking about the good of the sport, this live streaming likely never would have happened.

Burrow, who hails from Hopewell, Va., has been around the collegiate sports scene for quite some time. He graduated from William & Mary in 1976 and went on to earn a master's degree in sports administration from Ohio University.

Prior to joining the NCAA in 1991, Burrow worked at William & Mary (two tours), Army and Texas. He first started at the NCAA as the Assistant Director of Championships then moved up the administrative chain as the Associate Director of Championships before assuming his current role.

Swimming World thanks Burrow for his years of service to the sport, and wishes him nothing but the best as he takes his next step in this wonderful adventure called life.

What they are saying about Wayne Burrow:
"It is difficult to talk long about NCAA Swimming & Diving without having Wayne Burrow mentioned in the conversation. His impact on these sports has been nothing but positive. He has dedicated the past 17 years of his professional career to the sport at multiple levels. Wayne was always willing to do what is necessary to make our sport and championships the best. We cannot replace his presence and friendship. His goals and concerns seemed to always focus on the student-athlete experience and their well being. On behalf of the NCAA committee, we wish Wayne the best in his future endeavors."
– Oakland University AD Tracy Huth, NCAA Committee Chair

"Wayne has been a model of NCAA service, dedication and loyalty to the association, membership and the championships he has led. He is a respected athletics professional who can solve problems, support quality committee work and has enthusiastically led the continued development of the NCAA swimming and diving championships and well being of those sports. He will be missed but we wish him well in his new endeavors."
– Joni Comstock, NCAA Senior Vice President for Championships

"The one thing that always impressed me about Wayne is that you always knew where he stood. What he said is exactly what he meant; no reading between the lines. His candor will be sorely missed."
– Brent Rutemiller, CEO/Publisher Swimming World Magazine

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