GREG CUNNINGHAM 
TO BE INDUCTED INTO 
MERCER HIGH SCHOOL 
ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME 
NEXT FRIDAY

A PIAA state runner-up & multiple NCAA All-American award-winning swimmer is the lone member of the 17^th class for induction into the Mercer Area School District Athletic Hall of Fame.  

Greg Cunningham (class of 1987) will be enshrined into the Mercer Athletic Hall of Fame during a special ceremony in the high school gymnasium at halftime of the Sharpsville at Mercer Boys’ Basketball game on Friday, January 13^th.  Mr. Cunningham & his family will be honored at a reception immediately following the game in the high school cafeteria.

  

Greg Cunningham was a three-time District 10 Champion and a two-time PIAA State placewinner as an independent swimmer for Mercer High School.

Greg’s competitive swimming career began at the age of 11 with the Mercer Community Swim Team at Brandy Springs Park. He later trained with both the Slippery Rock Slippery Eels Community Swim Team & the Shenango Valley Swim Team before beginning his high school swim career. Greg swam independently while at dual meets with the Sharon High School swim team and their coach, Eric Wenger, a standout swimmer at Villanova University.

During his high school career, Greg won three (3) District 10 Championships and was runner-up on two (2) other occasions. As a sophomore, he finished 2^nd in the 50 Freestyle and 4^th in the 100 Butterfly. Greg won the District 10 Championship in the 50 Freestyle and was runner-up in the 100 Buttlerfly as a junior in 1986. During his season season, he won the District 10 Championship in both the 50 Freestyle & the 100 Butterfly.

Qualifying for the PIAA State Championships during both his junior & senior seasons, Greg finished 9^th in the 50 Freestyle during the 1986 season. He was the state runner-up in the 100 Butterfly and finished 4^th in the 50 freestyle during the 1987 season. Greg was also a 3-time PIAA State All-American Award winner and a 3-time National Interscholastic State Top 10 Award winner while competing in the United States National Swim League. 

Following high school, Greg received a full scholarship & joined the Clarion University swim team from 1988-1991. Under head coach Bill Miller, he helped the Clarion swim team to a 3^rd place finish in 1988, a 5^th place finish in 1989, a 7^th place finish in 1990, and a 3^rd place finish in 1991 at the NCAA Division II National Championships.

During his four (4) year career, Greg obtained the following awards while competing in the 50, 100, & 200 Freestyle; the 100 & 200 Butterfly; the 200, 400, & 800 Freestyle Relay; and the 200 & 400 Medley Relay:

• Five (5) time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Champion
• Twelve (12) time PSAC Runner-Up
• Seven (7) time PSAC 3^rd Place finisher
• Nineteen (19) PSAC All-American Awards
• Twenty-five (25) Top 6 finishes in the 26 events that he competed in at the PSAC State Championships.
• Five (5) 3^rd place finishes at the NCAA Division II National Championships
• Three (3) 4^th place finishes at the NCAA Division II National Championships
• Ninteen (19) NCAA Division II All-American Awards
• Twenty-two (22) Top 15 finishes in the 26 events that he competed in at the NCAA Division II National Championships.

After graduating with a degree in business management, Greg went on to the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science in Pittsburgh & obtained a degree in funeral directing. He then joined the family business, Cunningham Funeral Home Inc., and became a 6^th generation funeral director. He currently operates the business with his sister, Jill McCandless.  

He & his wife, Jennifer, who was a swimmer for Sharon High School where Greg swam independently during his high school career, currently reside in Mercer with their two (2) sons, Cole (age 10) & Jake (age 7).

Please contact Mr. Michael Piddington, principal at 724-662-5104 ex. 15 or via email at mpiddington@mercer.k12.pa.us if you have any questions or if you need any additional information.