Softball alumnus Barbara Swanson is part of perhaps the greatest teammate duo in Westchester Community College Athletics history. Three years after legendary Softball player Denise Jones was honored, Barbara Swanson took her place in the Hall of Fame after the kind of career that might never be replicated.
Simply put: In 1980, Barbara Swanson hit .680 for the season, easily becoming the national champion for batting average. By comparison, during the last full season of NCAA Softball (2019), only 17 players from all three NCAA divisions combined managed to hit above .500, with not one player hitting above .580. On top of that, Swanson led the team in home runs and RBI's.
For her efforts in 1980, Swanson was named First Team All-Region and Second Team NJCAA All-America - combining with Jones to become the first (and only) Softball All-Americans in Westchester Community College history. The 1980 Westchester CC Softball team won the NJCAA Region XV Championship and was Co-Champions of the Mid-Hudson Conference.
For her efforts, Swanson earned a Softball scholarship to Iona College, where she is still listed in the Gaels' record books. Her seven triples in 1981 remains a team record, 40 years later. In addition, her .710 slugging percentage was a team record in 1981, and stayed that way for nine seasons. It remains the sixth-best single season slugging percentage in Iona College history. After graduating from Iona College with an Honors Award in Human Services, Swanson received teaching certification from Mercy College, and is currently a school director.
