Wabash College Athletics

Coach Gail Pebworth recruited Joe Turk to Wabash in the fall of 1985, and four years later Wabash had developed one of the most dominant swimming programs in Division III. A tireless worker in the classroom and in the pool, Turk absolutely defined the term “student-athlete.” A four-year letterman and four-year high point swimmer, Turk qualified for the NCAA swimming championships four consecutive years. In addition to earning individual all-America honors in two events in both 1988 and 1989, Turk earned a spot on the CSCAA All-Academic Team in all four of his seasons.
He was national runner-up in both the 100 butterfly and the 200 butterfly at the 1989 National Championships, the same year he was voted Most Valuable Swimmer for the third consecutive year by his Wabash teammates. His records in the 200 butterfly and 100 IM still stand as Little Giant records. Turk helped Wabash post a combined record of 27-6 with a perfect 8-0 mark against DePauw, and his teams won four Liberal Arts Invitational championships, at which he was high-point swimmer all four years. Pete Vaughan Award winner and Indianapolis Alumni Scholar Athlete Award recipient, Turk capped his remarkable career by being voted the GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year and earning an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.