Pat Haws '72 was hired as the first full-time swimming and diving coach at Saint John's University in 1973.
But it wasn't until two years later that he landed what he saw as his first blue-chip recruit. His name was Jon Habben '79, and he'd been a two-time qualifier for the state meet in the middle distances at Willmar High School.
"I'd spoken to other people, but he was the first guy I really chased after," recalls Haws, who remained the Johnnies' head swimming and diving coach until 1998. "I put in a lot of work, and I remember being so excited when he told me he was coming here."
History proved that excitement to be warranted as Habben – who switched to the sprints at the college level – went on to win eight MIAC titles and qualified for the national meet four times (twice at the NAIA level and twice in NCAA Division III).
His victory in the 50-yard freestyle as a freshman at the 1976 MIAC meet made him the first SJU swimmer to touch the wall as a conference champion, and his 10th-place finish in the same event at the Division III national meet in 1978 made him the first All-American in program history.
Others also earned the same honors at both those meets, but Habben's feats came first.
"I never got to the podium at the state meet in high school, so this kind of success was brand-new to me," said Habben, who was also a member of the football team at Willmar and played in the Class A state championship game as a junior in the fall of 1973.
"Suddenly here I was as a college freshman and I was one of the top seeds in my events going against successful state meet/Division III swimmers. The experience of our entire team on the pool deck at the MIAC Championships vs. just two-or-three of us at the state swim meet was so different for me. The cheering coming from SJU's corner of the pool during every event was incredible and - when combined with the end-of- season taper, shaving and Pat's confidence – it made it pretty easy to perform well and have success at the MIAC Championships."
Habben – who was inducted into the Willmar High School Hall of Fame in 2010 – said the faith Haws showed in him made a big difference as well.
"I used to have a routine I did before practice where I'd do 200 sit-ups," said Habben, who went on to a long career with Gold'n Plump after graduation. "I was busy doing that off to the side one day when Pat came into the pool with a group of potential recruits. He pointed over at me and said 'That guy is going to be our first national champion.'
"I didn't quite get that done, but it meant a lot to know he believed in me like that.
"Then there was the support from my parents, family members, high school coaches, roommates and fellow swimmers," he continued. "My parents had three children swim, and they are rumored to have only missed a grand total of one meet over the years. All those people believed in me over the years."
His success made such faith easy to bestow. As a freshman, Habben finished first at the MIAC meet in the 50, 100 and the 400 freestyle relay while adding a second-place finish in the 200. He repeated as conference champion in all three events as a sophomore and finished 15th in the 50 at the NAIA national meet.
As a junior, he won both the 50 and 400 freestyle relay at the conference meet, then followed up with a 10th place finish in the 50, an 11th place finish in the 100 and a 12th place finish in the relay at the Division III national meet.
"Right from the get-go, he was so good," Haws said. "He had such great intensity. I can remember when he'd be waiting to swim his leg of a relay, he'd be up there grinding the balls of his feet into the starting blocks – just getting ready to go.
"I was sitting in the deep end of the pool when he won his first MIAC championship," he continued. "He finished in the shallow end. Back then, they used to time me with a calendar. But somehow I got down there fast enough to greet him when he popped out. That was a pretty memorable moment."
One of many Habben provided during his four years in Collegeville.
"Those were memorable times," said Habben, who roomed with legendary SJU basketball standout Frank Wachlarowicz '79 for a time during their senior year in 1978-79. "Warner Palestra had just opened and I went from swimming in a small, cloudy five-lane pool during high school to this brand-new, large eight-lane pool - including a 1 and 3-meter diving board and a 5-meter tower. It was easy for me to picture the Warner Palestra as my new 'home' for the next four years.
"SJU has had many very, very good swimmers and divers, including the originals who paved the way, and I feel extremely fortunate being a part of that history. I loved every minute of my time at Saint John's."
