Adrienne Binder

With all of her impressive accomplishments during her four years at San Marcos High School, swimmer Adrienne Binder set lofty expectations for her future.  Recruited to national swimming powerhouse Auburn University, she managed to not only vastly exceed those expectations but also left her mark on the record books and the sport.

Binder attended San Marcos High School from 1999 to 2003 and made her presence felt immediately, earning Athlete of the Week honors from both the Santa Barbara News Press and the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table in her freshman year.  By the end of her senior year, it was obvious that she was a special talent.  She left high school ranked in the top 30 in the world in 4 different events, the highest being 8^th in the 800 meter freestyle.  In 2003, she swam the 2^nd fastest mile ever by an American.  Adrienne left high school as a CIF Division I Champion in the 500 yard freestyle and earned All-American honors, 2 San Marcos HS Female Athlete of the Year awards, a Channel League record in the 500 yard freestyle, and 8 Athlete of the Week awards.

Adrienne’s proudest athletic achievement came during her time in collegiate swimming at Auburn.  The university was the first to have the combined men’s and women’s swimming teams, under the same head coach, to win the NCAA Championship in the same year.  If that wasn’t impressive enough, Adrienne helped the team repeat this feat 3 years in a row.  She reminisces, “It was amazing to be part of this golden era of Auburn Swimming and Diving, accomplishing things no other team had done before.”

Her individual accomplishments were no less remarkable.  By 2007, Binder had been honored as an All-American 14 times, was the Division I National Champion in the 500 yard freestyle, placed 4^th at the 2004 USA Olympic Trials in the 400 individual medley, and was a 3-time SEC Champion in various individual events.  She’d rewritten the record books as well, taking school records in 3 events, breaking the oldest standing women’s SEC record in the mile that had gone unchallenged for 16 years, and then re-breaking her own record the following year.

Adrienne returned to the Santa Barbara area and now lives with her husband, Dan, and their two children, Marin and Samantha, in the town where she started her illustrious career.  She has continued her love affair with the water since her retirement from competitive swimming: “My swimming career has been incredibly impactful in my life and taught me more lessons than I think I can begin to realize. I still love swimming more than any other form of exercise, and I still think of the pool as my safe place where I feel most at home and in my element.”