His Model Laboratory High School swimming teams have captured two state championships, a state runner-up finish and more than 20 girls, boys and combined team regional titles.

And now Tim Cahill has a crown of his own -- the National Federation Interscholastic Coaches Association's Section 2 Distinguished Service Award for Boys Swimming and Diving. The Section includes the states of Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Cahill, a member of EKU's health education faculty since 1979, is in his 19th year as Model coach. He also was the assistant coach for the University's swimming team from 1979 to 1987 and has coached the Arlington swim team since 1987.

"This honor is just a reflection of how good the kids have been as far as learning and growing and accepting the challenges put in front of them," Cahill said. "My goal is for them to be the best they can be. Everybody has a different level of talent and potential, and it's my job to develop that in and out of the water and support their classroom activities, because they're students first and athletes second."

The Model Lab boys team captured the state championship in 1984 and the combined boys and girls title in 1996. The girls team was runner-up in 1981. Since 1982, the Model boys teams have dominated the Central Kentucky Regional, winning top honors 12 times.

On the individual level, nine swimmers under Cahill's tutelage have earned High School All-American status and 45 of his swimmers have gone on to perform at the collegiate level. Three went on to earn All-American honors in college: Peg Saalfeld and Brent Lichty at the University of Tennessee and Kerry Fraas at the University of South Carolina.

In addition, Cahill has coached 34 high school individual state champions, 11 Junior National qualifiers, two Junior National record-holders, four Senior National qualifiers, one Senior National champion, one U.S. World Team member and one Olympic Trial qualifier.

Cahill earned a bachelor's degree at the University of Cincinnati, where he captained the swim team, and a master's degree from Xavier University.

Contact: Tim Cahill at 606-622-2129.