Rose–Hulman's ascent to national prominence began in 1999, when Sean Valentine captured the first two All-American awards in school history. Valentine placed fourth in the freestyle and sixth in the breaststroke at the NCAA Division III Nationals. Matt Smith became Rose–Hulman's first swimming national champion in 2003. Smith's career included four All-American honors, highlighted by a first place in the breaststroke in 2003. He captured eight individual league championships, including three breaststroke titles. David Breiding, a 2004 graduate, also qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championships during a career that featured nine individual all-conference awards. Adam Effinger continued the tradition with a pair of honorable mention All-American efforts at the 2006 NCAA Division III National Championships.
