Hall of Fame
The first women’s swimmer in program history selected for the Athletic Hall of Fame, Melissa Gates-Rohrer is originally from Leola, Pennsylvania, and is a graduate from Conestoga Valley High School. She is one of the most decorated student-athletes in the history of all Vulcan athletics. Rohrer was a three-time NCAA National Champion and a 10-time NCAA All-American, plus earned NCAA All-America Honorable Mention 10 times, from 2008-12.
She captured a combined five league titles as a senior at the 2012 PSAC Championships and was selected the PSAC Swimmer of the Year. Rohrer earned All-PSAC status a combined 20 times during her career, including 12 times as a member of a relay team. As a freshman, she placed No. 11 in the finals of the 50 freestyle at the NCAA Championships and helped the 200 freestyle relay become the first All-American relay in program history. Rohrer received individual All-America honors in 2010 at the NCAA Championships after finishing fourth in the finals of the 50 freestyle. As a junior, Rohrer made school history by becoming the first NCAA National Champion in the sport of swimming and the school’s first individual National Champion in any sport in over two decades. She registered a time of 22.72 seconds in the finals to win the national title by nearly four-tenths of a second. As a senior, Rohrer was one of the most dominant swimmers in the country. She repeated as the National Champion in the 50 freestyle with a time of 22.59 seconds while breaking the NCAA Championships record in the event and claimed the national title in the 100 freestyle with a time of 49.34 seconds. Rohrer set the all-time PSAC and PSAC Championship record in both events during the 2012 season, plus helped the 200 and 400 freestyle relays capture the first relay league titles in program history. During her career, she helped the Vulcans place third in the team standings at the PSAC Championships three times with the program never finishing above sixth before or after her time with the Vulcans.
Rohrer earned her degree in environmental studies with a concentration in environment conservation in 2012. Following graduation, Rohrer qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in both 2012 and 2016. She currently is the head men’s and women’s swimming coach, plus serves as the aquatics director, at Elizabethtown College – a NCAA Division III program in the Landmark Conference.
updated 9/25/22
