IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — Van Mathias has made a huge splash in his U.S. senior national team debut this week at the Pan Pacific Championships, the biggest international swim meet of the year for the Americans.
He has won two golds and two silvers in four events heading into the final night of competition Saturday in the outdoor pool some 40 miles from the site of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Quite a stunner from a guy whose day job is director of operations for Indiana University's swimming and diving program. Mathias, who turns 26 later this month, swam five years for the Hoosiers. He then hung up his suit and goggles and went home to Beaverton, Oregon.
He worked various jobs, mostly stayed out of the water, and took up weightlifting with his mother and uncle, both former competitive lifters.
Then he got a call from IU coach Ray Looze, who was looking for an operations director. Mathias got the gig and moved back to Bloomington, where he oversees team travel, recruiting visits and all the little things that keep a Division I program running.
#calif #pacific #championships
He has won two golds and two silvers in four events heading into the final night of competition Saturday in the outdoor pool some 40 miles from the site of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Quite a stunner from a guy whose day job is director of operations for Indiana University's swimming and diving program. Mathias, who turns 26 later this month, swam five years for the Hoosiers. He then hung up his suit and goggles and went home to Beaverton, Oregon.
He worked various jobs, mostly stayed out of the water, and took up weightlifting with his mother and uncle, both former competitive lifters.
Then he got a call from IU coach Ray Looze, who was looking for an operations director. Mathias got the gig and moved back to Bloomington, where he oversees team travel, recruiting visits and all the little things that keep a Division I program running.
#calif #pacific #championships
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