Dana Schoenfield

Dana Lee Schoenfield (born August 13, 1953) is an American former competition swimmer who won a silver medal in the 200-metre breaststroke at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.

Early life Schoenfield was born in Harvey, Illinois, and spent her childhood in Schererville, Indiana. She first learned to swim at the local Sherwood Golf and Swim Club, where she began to excel in the breaststroke. Her family relocated to Anaheim, California in 1963 where she, along with her brother Michael, actively swam on the Disneyland Hotel Swim Team. She qualified for the Women's Senior National Championships in the 200-meter breaststroke at age 12, the youngest swimmer to participate. As a 14-year-old, Schoenfield was the second fastest women's 200 meter breaststroke swimmer in the country, and just missed making the U.S. team for the 1968 Summer Olympics. After semi-retiring for the next three years, she was a varsity cheerleader for Loara High School in Anaheim, California.

1972 Summer Olympic Games After graduation, Schoenfield, along with her swim coach Ray Woods, began a one-year regimen of serious training in an effort to make the U.S. team for the 1972 Summer Olympics. At the 1972 U.S. Olympic Trials, she qualified first in the 200-meter breaststroke, with a personal best time of 2:43.7. At the 1972 Olympics in Munich, she was not expected to contend for a medal as she had just the fourth fastest time and ranking for 1972. She placed fourth in the qualifying heats, and was in lane 6 for the Munich final. With her swim idol, Galina Prozumenschikova of the Soviet Union, swimming in lane 3, she out-touched Prozumenschikova with a time of 2:42.03, another personal best. Australian Beverley Whitfield, on the outside No. 7 lane, beat Schoenfield for the gold medal at 2:41.7.