WEISMAN - CLARKSON ATHLETIC HALL of FAME

Although his name has been replaced a few times over the years in the record book, Charlie Weisman still ranks as the most decorated swimmer in the history of Clarkson University Swimming & Diving since the program debuted more than four decades ago.

Weisman, a native of Plattsburgh, NY, made an immediate impact on the Golden Knights as a freshman in 1993-94, gaining Empire Athletic Association All-Star honors by finishing in second place in both the 100 butterfly and 200 freestyle at the conference meet. That February at the Upper New York State Collegiate Swimming Association Championships, he appeared in the 'A' Finals twice and was in the top six in both of those events, solidifying himself as a name to be remembered in future years and meets.

Weisman ended up just 1/100th of a second short of participating in the NCAA Division III National Championships in his sophomore year, though he did qualify as a ‘B’ cut in the 100 butterfly with a time of 51.97 seconds, which was good enough for second place in that event at the 1995 UNYSCSA Championships. The shortfall by such a slim margin only made Weisman work harder, and that effort would not be denied in his next two seasons, a pair of individually historic campaigns for the Golden Knights’ swim program.

Weisman posted impressive times at the 1996 UNYSCSA Championships, placing second in the 100 butterfly, fifth in the 200 butterfly, and 14th in the 50 freestyle. His time in the 100 butterfly once again qualified as a ‘B’ cut, and this time his sprint to the finish was enough to push him to the NCAA Division III National Championships. Held at Emory University, Weisman impressed by earning All-American honors in the 100 butterfly by taking 13th in that event.

In 1997, Weisman continued to set new standards for Clarkson Swimming, and once again qualified for the NCAA Championships. He broke his own records in the 100 butterfly, good enough for second at the UNYSCSA meet, and 200 butterfly, where he placed fourth, to qualify for the nationals, this time held at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Weisman repeated as an All-American in the 100 butterfly, coming in eighth with a time of 50.60 seconds, more than six-tenths of a second faster than his time a few weeks earlier. A two-time All-American in the 100 butterfly, he almost picked up another All-American honor in the 200 butterfly, placing 19th with a time of 1:54.66.

Weisman closed out his collegiate career with his name etched in the Golden Knights’ record book six times. His longest lasting records were in the butterfly events, as it took 23 years for his mark in the 200 butterfly to be topped, while his 100 butterfly remained a Clarkson record for almost 29 years, finally being surpassed in December 2025.