Courtesy: Maine Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame
Nate Stevens, a 2003-04 All-American at the University of Arizona, and Olivia Tighe, a team captain during her Duke University swimming career, are among Maine’s Swimming and Diving HOF Class of 2026 inductees.
Diver Nicola Mancini Colucci, along with swimmer and diver Kristin Legere Moreau have also been selected for induction, as has Masters swimmer David Chapow Bright, who will be inducted posthumously.
HOF President Lee Crocker announced the Class of 2026 selections.
Bright competed in 649 United States Masters races, recording 86 Top Ten National Rankings and 67 Top Ten National Relay Rankings. The coach of the two state championship teams at Maine’s Brunswick High received USMS All-American relay recognition in the LCM 200 free relay and SCY 200 free relay as well as All-American honors in the USMS Long Distance three-man relay. Competing at the Canadian Masters Swim Championships in 2019, he won three gold medals and established three New England Masters records.
Racing for Slippery Rock University, Moreau was named an AIAW All-American in the 50,100, and 200-yard breaststroke. A year later, as a diver, Moreau qualified for and competed at the NCAA Division II Nationals in three-meter diving. She closed her career at Slippery Rock, earning NCAA All-American distinction as a flyer on the 200 medley relay.
At Cape Elizabeth High, Moreau was undefeated in dual meet competition in the 100 breaststroke during her four years and held the team record for 17 years. A four-time gold medalist in the 100 breaststroke at the state championships, she set both state and meet records and collected multiple silver medals in diving. As an age group swimmer for Portland’s Pine Tree Swim Club, Moreau qualified for and swam in several events at the YMCA Nationals.
Colucci became the first All-American diver for Bentley University, finishing eighth at the NCAA Division II Nationals in her first year of collegiate diving. She earned her second and third All-American recognitions, finishing fifth on the one-meter and seventh in the three-meter at the NCAA Nationals as a sophomore. Three years the Northeast 10 Conference named her Women’s Diver of the Meet at the championship. She did not compete as a junior due to an injury.
A two-time AAU age group national one and three-meter qualifier, Colucci won three state interscholastic one-meter diving titles for Falmouth High and in 2010, she won the Council of New England Secondary Schools Principals Association one-meter diving title.
Tighe became the first woman in Maine to break 50 seconds in the 100 free with a 49.87 swim in 2019.
In 2018, swimming for Cape Elizabeth High, Tighe set a state record in the 100 free at 50.23
earning NISCA All-American distinction. Her second interscholastic state record came in the 200 free at 1:50.2 in 2019.
At Duke University as a member of the 2021 Blue Devils’ ACC 800 free relay, she and her teammates recorded the fifth fastest time in school history. Swimming her fifth year of collegiate competition for George Washington University, she collected a silver medal in the A-10 Championship 200 free at 1:47.99. Tighe was also a member of GW’s A-!0 champion and record-setting 400 free and 800 relays.
In only his second year of swimming, Stevens, at the age of 10, joined Ian Crocker (MSDHOF 2011) as a member of Portland’s Pine Tree Swim Club’s state record 200 medley relay. Their record still stands.
He went on to set numerous records, including six state records (yards) and three LCM state records, while a member of the Portland Porpoises. At the 2000 USA Summer Junior Nationals, Stevens won a gold medal in the 200-meter breaststroke.
Stevens earned his All-American honors at Arizona in the 100 breaststroke and as a member of the Wildcats 400 medley relay. At the 2004 Olympic Trials, he competed in both the 100 and 200-meter breaststroke events.
