The 2018 class of the Maine Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame will be inducted Sunday during a ceremony to be held in Lewiston.
Membership in the hall of fame will be extended to Gina Mancini, Emily Caras Snyder and to Jason Thomas, who will be inducted posthumously.
Mancini was a three-time high school All-American during her career at Falmouth High School earning. She earned that distinction in the 50-yard freestyle (23.9 seconds) in 2003 and was honored again in 2004 with a 23.8 in the 50 free.
Mancini, the Maine Interscholastic Swim League Class B Swimmer of the Year in 2004 and 2005 received All America honors in the 100 breaststroke (1:05.6) in 2006. During four years at Falmouth, she was undefeated in dual-meet and championship competition.
As a member of the Westbrook Seals Swim Club, Mancini set numerous state records and in 2004 qualified for the prestigious Senior National Championships.
Mancini competed as a scholarship swimmer for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame from 2006-2010.
Snyder earned All-America recognition at Cape Elizabeth High School in the 500 free (5:03.3) and set five state interscholastic records. As an age-group swimmer for Coastal Maine Aquatics, she competed in the U.S. Open and the Junior Nationals. She achieved national No. 1 rankings in the 200 free and the 200 butterfly and in 2017 still held 39 Maine age-group records.
Snyder went on to compete at Cornell University. The 2010 graduate established school records in the 200 free (1:51.8) and the 200 butterfly (2:03.1) and also was a member of the Big Red’s record-setting 800 and 400 free relays.
As a senior she was awarded the Overall Achievement Award and Leadership Award.
Thomas, as a sophomore at Bangor High in 1999, claimed All-America honors in the 200 free (1:40.7) and the 500 free (4:33.2) for his record-setting swims at the Class A state championship. Both records still stand.
In 1999, Thomas’ 500 freestyle swim was the third fastest 500 in the United States among National Federation interscholastic swimmers. Additionally, he swam on two free relays that set state records.
As a freshman in 1998, he won the 200 free and the 500 free for the Rams with state-record swims and was a member of Bangor’s record-setting championship relays.
Thomas as a junior transferred to Mercersburg Academy, a prep school in Pennsylvania with a national swimming reputation. There he was elected as a captain each of his three years and eight All-America accolades, including four individual honors.
Thomas was undefeated as a relay swimmer at Bangor High and Mercersburg Academy. As an individual, his only six losses competing for those two schools came against national record-holder Fran Crippen.
As an age-group swimmer, Thomas competed for the Bangor YMCA and later for the Canoe City Swim Club of the Old Town YMCA. He achieved All-America status in th 200 free and 500 free at the YMCA Nationals.
Thomas accepted a partial scholarship from the University of Tennessee where as a freshman he swam on its 800 free relay and garnered All-America honorable mention.
A shoulder injury that required 18 months of rehabilitation didn’t stop Thomas from claiming a second All-America Honorable Mention in the 800 free relay, but a second shoulder injury ended his competitive career.
Thomas died in 2016 at age 34.
Follow BDN Maine Sports on Facebook for the latest in Maine high school and college sports.