SUNY Cortland C-Club Hall of Fame
One of Cortland’s most accomplished swimmers, Joan Neuendorf earned All-America honors in 11 events and at one time held seven school records during her four-year collegiate career.
As a freshman in 1980, Neuendorf was an AIAW Division III All-American as part of Cortland’s 200-yard freestyle relay. She swam on two All-America relays at the 1981 AIAW Championships and in 1982 finished seventh nationally in the 50-yard backstroke and was part of five All-America relays. In her senior season, Neuendorf helped Cortland tie for ninth at the 1983 NCAA Division III Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. She placed 11th in the 50-yard backstroke and swam on the sixth-place 200-yard medley relay team. Neuendorf also won many SUNYAC titles and was a team captain as both a junior and senior.
Neuendorf earned a bachelor’s degree from Cortland in 1983 and a master’s degree from Long Island University in 1988. She has taught at Suffern High School since 1983 and has been the department chair for physical education and health since 1999. Neuendorf coached girls’ swimming from 1983-2000 and boys’ swimming from 1983-93. She returned as a girls’ assistant coach in 2008 after taking time off to have three children.
A Palisades, N.Y., native, Neuendorf earned 10 straight Rockland County Coach of the Year honors and was Section One Girls’ Coach of the Year twice. She was inducted into the Rockland County Sports Hall of Fame in 2004 and was part of Tappan Zee High School’s Sports Hall of Fame inaugural induction class in 2009.
Neuendorf also was inducted in 2012 into the Suffern High School Sports Hall of Fame as a coach with her 1988 girls’ varsity swim team that went undefeated and was ranked second in the state. She will be inducted again into Tappan Zee’s Hall of Fame in November 2014 as a member of the 1977 girls’ varsity swim team that won sectional and state titles.
A Who’s Who’s Among America’s Teachers honoree in 2000 and 2007, Neuendorf is the president of the Rockland County Summer Swim League and the Rockland County Coaches Association and the vice president of the Rockland County Sports Hall of Fame.
