Former University of Arizona star Adam Ritter is among the emerging talent who will contend this year for a spot on the Olympic team. The Wildcat standout talks about his building career, and his interests in building, in this week’s 20 Questions Tuesday with special correspondent Bob Schaller.

1 What did you get out of your college experience?
Adam: I don’t know if I have enough time to talk about all that I got out of it. As I think back on it, from where I came into it to now, as a fifth-year senior, one word, “Growth,” comes to mind. Not just physically, but as a student, as a swimmer – just about every area I could grow or improve in, I have.

2 What are you majoring in?
Adam: Civil engineering. It’s fun. Trust me, I would not be doing it if I did not enjoy it. If this was not something I liked, there is no way I could get through it.

3 What makes the University of Arizona a special place?
Adam: Arizona is unique mainly because of the coaching staff we have. Also, the environment we have between the men’s and women’s team, I personally feel it’s the best training atmosphere in the world. There’s so much information being passed around. I call it being a sponge. If you keep your ears open, you are going to learn something every single day. That sharing of information is what makes us successful. We are all always learning

4 What’s your hometown like back in Ohio?
Adam: Reynoldsburg – it’s a suburb of Columbus. I got to go back for Christmas which is always nice. The town used to be just my housing development and a bunch of cornfields, but it is growing. I hear from the people back home who are following me, and that’s cool. It’s a good place to grow up.

5 With the best in the world in your event (the 200m free), do you feel like you are being overlooked?
Adam: I’d be lying to say that I didn’t know some people who make picks or predictions are picking against me – or maybe some are not. But hey, at every level people have doubted me. Some doubted Michael Phelps, but not many. But no matter how good you are, you’ve got something to prove. You don’t waste energy and focus on things you can’t control, or on what people say you can or cannot do. I only listen to my coaches, teammates and family. Those are the opinions I hold the highest.

6 Is it frustrating to be an American swimmer with this kind of talent in the same event?
Adam: No, I think it’s great. It’s a huge source of pride for me to know I’m part of the U.S. juggernaut in swimming. It creates competition that makes all of us better. It can be frustrating that I can’t swim every event I want to. But someone very wise once said nothing worth it is ever easy. Making this team would be something meaningful.

7 How big was this last year for you?
Adam: It was huge. Starting with PAC -10s and then NCAAs, I used the confidence from that to go to a world meet this summer and gain more confidence. I went from hoping to be a contender to being a contender. Now, I see making the Olympic team as a realistic goal – not just a hope or a “maybe,” but something very real.

8 What’s your focus in training?
Adam: Definitely, in terms of IM, I worked on my breaststroke a lot this past season, so I am moving on to butterfly and backstroke. I am always working on something stroke-related. I work with some amazing athletes, so there is always someone doing something better, and I can get better and keep learning. Specifically, though, I feel I have a good cardio base and want to get more speed.

9 Do you feel like you are bringing some momentum into this final push?
Adam: Yeah, definitely. It’s been a journey. So for me, it didn’t seem like 2008 just hit me; it seems like it’s been a long journey for four years. But I’m starting to hit on all cylinders this year. As long as I keep my focus – though it won’t fall in my lap – my confidence is pretty good.

10 How do you calm down away from the pool?
Adam: When I leave the pool, I really don’t think about swimming very much. I watch sports a little bit, maybe grill outside. I don’t have any type of regimen to relax, but whatever happened at the pool, I don’t dwell on it, whether it’s good or bad. I just try to go onto other things. Being in civil engineering, I have things to do and think about when I leave the pool.

11 How do you explain civil engineering and when did you get interested in it?
Adam: I tell people I want to build buildings. I’ve thought about where it came from, but I can trace it back to Legos. I was obsessed, and had millions of them. This was just in my subconscious, and I’m fortunate the one I picked was something I am really passionate about.

12 What heritage is your name?
Adam: German, I guess. I have some Native American and German heritage as well. I can’t even trace my lineage. Ritter is from my Dad’s side.

13 Were you interested in other sports before you chose swimming to focus on?
Adam: I wasn’t into just one sport. I played baseball, basketball, volleyball and soccer. I did a lot of sports. I still do a lot of sports. But my record on staying healthy when I do land sports is very poor, which is one of the reasons I swim! (Laughs)

14 Did you have good “swim” parents?
Adam: Yes. I was extremely fortunate. My father never pushed me into a sport, but he wanted me to be active in something. I was going to get a job or do a sport, just something to work hard. He opened my eyes to working hard, setting goals, and being motivated to do that. In terms of swimming, they did not know my times or stuff like that. They were just there to support me and encourage me to reach my goals. It was a supportive environment. I feel very fortunate.

15 How cool is it giving autographs?
Adam: To be honest, I think they are scared of me. I’ve made some kids cry just looking up at me. But not many any longer, thank goodness, because I love kids. And the attention is flattering. It’s just that they probably look at me as being physically the biggest person they have seen in their life. I really like doing clinics and interacting face-to-face for the kids. That’s important for the kids, and important for the sport.

16 How does it feel to be Adam Ritter, pro athlete?
Adam: When people ask what I do, I don’t (laughs) say ‘’pro swimming.” Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d earn a living doing this, something I love so much. It’s such an honor. I’m loving it, especially after being a college swimmer was so absolutely awesome. Moving into this phase was interesting and fun, but at the same time, I never thought I’d be a pro swimmer.

17 You are just starting to hit your peak. Will you stick around for 2012?
Adam: That’s what I am hoping. I am definitely not going to walk away from the sport, especially while it’s financially feasible, while there is something on the table. I will ride it as long as I can take it, as long as I have passion for it, and see how far I can go. But I also went to college and have a passion for civil engineering, which I also want to pursue.

18 Pursue it how?
Adam: I also have a passion for business. I’m thinking about getting an MBA in graduate school. Generally in engineering, you work as a lower level for a while. You go through it, and if you do well, you get moved into a managerial position, but then you don’t use your degree because you are delegating everything. So I want to find a way to stay in it and stay interested, and MBA could give me more options, and you are spending your time wisely, no matter what you are studying, if you are in school, going to class and paying attention. Learning is awesome.

19 What’s a movie role you’d like?
Adam: I would definitely love to do a movie. But have I thought about it? No. So probably a James Bond movie with action, some humor and adventure.

20 How do you explain your sport to your friends?
Adam: It’s really not easy. People outside the subculture could never have the appreciation for it like they do for football or basketball, because in swimming you have to have done it to appreciate it. That’s a good thing about swimming is our subculture is a great thing to be a part of. If you ask me, swimming the best kept secret in sports.

http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/16330.asp

Arizona's Adam Ritter Claims 200 IM Title -- March 15, 2007 - By Jason Marsteller

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, March 15. ARIZONA's Adam Ritter became the third-fastest swimmer in the 200 IM all-time when he touched the wall in 1:41.72. Finishing directly behind him, Northwestern's Matt Grevers clocked a 1:41.96 to become the fourth-best performer of all time in the event. Meanwhile, Florida's Lucas Salatta placed third in 1:43.69.

The win was Arizona's first in the 200 IM ever.

In the team battle, Florida held the lead with 80 points, while Stanford sat second with 76 points. Arizona owned third with 75 points, while Northwestern (61) and Texas (60) rounded out the top five.

http://216.197.124.49/SwimmingWorld/MNCAADI/ritter1.wav  listen to interview

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200 Yard IM  - 2007 NCAA's - Minneapolis, MN
Ritter, Adam SR Arizona  22.02 47.83 (25.81) 1:17.35 (29.52) 1:41.72 (24.37)
http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/14177.asp  

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Adam finds his Eden at UA - Swimmer puts the class in world class after four fruitful years with Arizona
Opinion by Greg Hansen Tucson, Arizona | Published: 03.23.2007  http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hansen/174976

When was the last time you heard an NCAA champion exit his alma mater by saying "this is not about me; it's about my coaches, my teammates and the opportunity I had to learn from some of the world's finest professors"? OK, maybe one guy. Steve Kerr. Neither are college sports entirely fair. The NCAA allows men's swimming teams nine full scholarships. Most teams have 20 to 25 swimmers, which means that even the All-Americans are getting by with about 60 percent of a scholarship. Some people see beyond the numbers. Arizona's Adam Ritter is one of those people. Ritter, a senior from Columbus, Ohio, completed his college eligibility last week at the NCAA finals in Minneapolis. He not only won the national championship in the 200 IM (with the third-fastest time in history, pro or amateur), he was third in the 200 freestyle, fifth in the 100 freestyle and part of the record-shattering 800 freestyle relay champion. His events produced an astonishing 186 points, which, alone, would have allowed the Wildcats to finish in seventh place. I asked Adam about all the points, his 200 IM school record, his NCAA championship and a meet that launched him onto the radar for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Here is what he said: "I got more than I bargained for by coming to the UA. I almost feel like I robbed from the school to be able to be part of Frank Busch's swimming program. "It's funny, I almost had to coax Frank to bring me out here on a recruiting visit. I wasn't a big-time recruit and I never had anything close to a full scholarship. I got a generous offer; more than a swimming program like Arizona should've given me. "But had I known what kind of experience I was going to have here, I would have come to the UA for nothing." Adam Ritter completed his UA career as a 17-time All-American, with NCAA championships in five events. His Wildcat teams finished No. 2, No. 3 (twice) and No. 4 in the country. And he feels like the debt is his. I told Busch of Ritter's comments; the coach was silent for a moment. "Since Adam has been here, our men's and women's swimming teams have been as close as you can possibly come to winning national championships," he said. "The guys and the girls badly want to be called champions. That's what they work for. "But regardless if we ever win a title or not, the rewards from coaching come from watching people like Adam progress in swimming and in life. It is the truest perspective a coach can get. You can look back and say the system works. Forget the swimming; it's the people we turn out." Ritter is a civil engineering major with a 3.2 GPA. To be part of "Frank's team," he awakened at 5 a.m. almost every day for a morning training session. He went to class until noon. By 2 p.m. he was back at the Hillenbrand Aquatic Center for the daily afternoon workout. Along the way, Ritter was selected homecoming king, found time to adopt and passionately follow the UA basketball team (over his hometown Ohio State Buckeyes) and took a formidable class load that this semester includes "Advanced Hydrolics," "Chinese Civilization" and a particularly difficult course called "Advanced Concrete," one he says "is much harder than it sounds." He will remain in Tucson to train for August's World University Games, in Bangkok, Thailand, and thereafter get serious about making the 2008 USA Olympic team. Ritter's emergence as a world-class swimmer is sometimes obscured by the enormously successful UA program. But that obscurity, he believes, is part of the reason why he evolved from unknown to national champion. "Ever since I've been here I've been swimming with gold medalists and national champions. Initially, there was a shock factor," he said. "But then I started believing that if I train with them, I can compete with them. This is the best training atmosphere in the world. That's why I have been able to accomplish everything I set out to do four years ago." As Busch said, the system works. Ritter exits the UA swim program thinking not of what he accomplished as much as what his school accomplished. "Every young swimmer grows up wanting to be swim for Auburn or Texas or Stanford," he said. "Those were the schools on my radar and on the radar or most kids. "But now people mention Auburn, Texas, Stanford and Arizona. To be a part of that legacy is awesome, to see something grow like that, is so rewarding. It has been the opportunity of a lifetime for me." Adam Ritter can swim on my team any time.

 

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St. Charles' Ritter ready to write history
By IAN MARA  July 11^th 2007
http://www.snponline.com/NEWS7-11/7-11_beritter.html

Adam Ritter swam collegiately for the University of Arizona, and hopes to reach the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
The next 11 months are going to be important in the swimming life of Adam Ritter.

After capping his eligibility at the University of Arizona in March with a standout performance at the NCAA championships in Minnesota, Ritter's preparing to begin what he hopes is a significant international career.

In three weeks the Reynoldsburg native will leave for Singapore with the rest of the United States contingent for the 2007 World University Games. After 10 days of training, the team, essentially the second-tier of the men's national squad, will head to Bangkok for the games, which run Aug. 9-17.

Following that meet Ritter will have nine months of training before the '08 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Omaha, Neb. Ritter finished eighth in both the 100- and 200-meter freestyle at last year's nationals, meaning that if he can move past two swimmers in his events he'll compete at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

"I feel like it's more than attainable," Ritter said in a phone interview Sunday, "especially in another year's time. I have a lot of confidence in myself and so do my coaches. I think I know what it's going to take."

Ritter's road to national success has been a somewhat slower one since he left the Columbus area.

Despite a standout career with St. Charles that included an individual state championship, Ritter wasn't the most sought-after recruit. "It's funny, I almost had to coax (Arizona) to bring me out here on a recruiting visit," Ritter told the Arizona Daily Star.

He saw some success his first two years in Tucson, most of his best results coming with relays. But after a disappointing trip to the NCAAs his sophomore year, Ritter decided to change the way he approached the sport.

"It seems like most of my breakthroughs come after profound disappointments," he said. "I decided to become more single-minded, and not wonder what the Auburn or Stanford guys were doing, or what the guy next to me was doing. I went back to why I swam when I was 8, because I loved to swim."

The results were almost immediate. He reached his first final at a U.S. national meet that summer, in the process breaking into the top 50 times in the world in the 100 and 200 freestyles. The following spring he was the lone Wildcat junior to swim at NCAAs, taking part in three national title relays, a runner-up in the 200 IM and helping Arizona to a runner-up finish in the team standings.
 
Adam Ritter, a graduate of St. Charles Preparatory School, is among the country's finest swimmers.
But it was in March that Ritter really emerged as a player on the national stage, concluding his collegiate career by swimming the third-fastest time ever in the 200-yard individual medley. His 1:41.72 sits behind only Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps, the world's best in the event.

On the second day in Minneapolis he was part of two more national champion relay teams, including the 400 free squad which broke the NCAA record. Despite having graduated the best class in program history the previous spring, Arizona managed to place third as a team, much of it due to Ritter's performances.

"When I look back at the four years it's pretty overwhelming," he said. "Coming into my freshman year, if you had told me this is how everything would end up, I would have said you were full of it.

"I always hoped I would be able to do the things I've done, but there is still a lot I want to do."

 

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Swimming - Ritter's strategy leads to NCAA title - Thursday, July 19, 2007 - PAUL BATTERSON
ThisWeek Staff Writer - By James Chance/ThisWeek
http://www.thisweeknews.com/?story=sites/thisweeknews/071907/Reynoldsburg/Sports/071907-Sports-388230.html

 

St. Charles product Adam Ritter teaches a clinic for the Greater Columbus Swim Team of Ohio. Ritter was a 17-time All-American at the University of Arizona and won the NCAA title in the 200-yard individual medley as a senior last season.

Adam Ritter's biography on the University of Arizona men's swimming team Web site doesn't contain much information on his performance in the NCAA championships his sophomore year.

Ritter, a St. Charles Preparatory School graduate who won the 200-yard individual medley in the NCAA national championships last March in Minneapolis, anchored the Wildcats to third place in the 400 freestyle relay in 2005, but personally he bottomed out at the meet.

"That meet didn't turn out the way I hoped or planned. I didn't reach my goals and I left with this empty feeling," said Ritter, a Reynoldsburg native who graduated from Arizona this spring with a degree in civil engineering. "One of the things I've learned about myself is every time I've had a breakthrough, it was usually after a moment of profound disappointment.

"The summer after that meet, I had an epiphany of sorts. I came up with a simple philosophy that carried over to my junior and senior years."

What Ritter did was simply unplug his computer. He stopped tracking times of his rivals and got back to the basics of why he enjoyed the sport when he started swimming at age 8, and that was to race against seven other swimmers.

"I used to be caught up in opponent research," he said. "I'd look at times and I'd think if this person is swimming this time now, they will be swimming this time in two months. I didn't know if I could keep up with everyone else. It was crazy.

"I went back to what I enjoyed when I started the sport. I loved racing. Put me on a block and I'd do my best no matter who the other seven guys were. It didn't matter if this guy was an Olympian or went this time. I always went all out."

The strategy paid off. On the first day of the NCAA meet, Ritter finished the 200 IM in 1 minute, 41.72 to earn the title. He helped the Wildcats place third in the meet with 371 points. Ritter's 200 IM time is the third-fastest all-time behind Florida's Ryan Lochte and Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps.

Ritter earned a spot for the World University Games from Aug. 8-18 in Bangkok, Thailand. He will leave July 29.

"I'm really excited about it," he said. "This is the first time I have been in an international competition and really this is the first time I've been outside of the United States. I've never been to Mexico, and that's only about 20 minutes away from Arizona."

Ritter, a 17-time All-American, also finished fifth in the 100 free (42.43) and was part of the runner-up 400 free relay (2:47.86) and the third-place 200 free relay (1:16.26).

Ritter said he has few memories from his winning performance.

"I've watched that race on ESPN and that has really painted the memories that I have of that," he said. "The only thing I remember is right before the breaststroke portion looking over at the Northwestern swimmer who was digging in. And I remember touching the wall. That's something you won't ever forget.

"It's the highest feeling you can get. It was unreal, like a dream. I always thought I could it ,but you don't really believe it until you see your name up there. I couldn't have scripted a better ending."

Before Ritter was an NCAA champion, he was a king.

"He's the first (male) athlete here to be named as the homecoming king," Arizona coach Frank Busch said. "So he picked up the nickname King really quickly. Adam has a very dry sense of humor and was always good-natured (about the nickname)."

People who knew Ritter in high school might not recognize him now. Ritter has added about 35 pounds to his once-lanky 6-foot-7 frame because of time spent in the weight room.

Ritter, who won the state title in the 200 free his senior year in high school, said the extra muscle has helped him to go from a distance swimmer to a middle-distance swimmer.

"There is a direct correlation between the increase in strength and my success in the shorter events," Ritter said. "I concentrated a lot on the 500 free when I was a freshman and a sophomore at St. Charles, but going into the shorter events was sort of a natural progression for me."

"I'll bet you Adam wasn't on the top 20-25 recruiting lists as a (high school) senior," Busch said. "I'm not some sort of prophet, but I felt under the right set of circumstances, he could really blossom into a great swimmer. I knew his parents and I just felt swimming is in his genes. He far exceeded those expectations and just pulled off surprise after surprise."

Ritter's father, James, swam for the University of Cincinnati, and his mother, Susan, was a standout high school swimmer in Kentucky. Three of his uncles -- Bob Ritter (Cincinnati), John Ritter (Miami University) and Ron Flerlage (Eastern Kentucky) -- competed in college.

But Ritter said his family never pushed him into the pool. In fact, Greater Columbus Swim Team of Ohio coach Steve Nye said both parents were reluctant to allow their son to try long-course training.

"I remember Susan saying, 'I don't want him to burn out,'" Nye said. "I said, 'The kid is going to be great and he likes to race. If you don't let him do it, we're going to lose our opportunity with him.'"

Eight years later, Ritter went back to lead a GCSTO clinic at the same pool where Nye had to convince his parents to try the long-course training.

"I went up to his mom and said, 'Do you realize you're sitting about a foot where we sat when we had that discussion?'" Nye said. "She said, 'Yes. It doesn't seem like the long time ago. You were right.' It was kind of neat to see Adam come full circle.

"People always seem to believe that great things happen somewhere else. The success of swimmers like Adam and (former GCSTO swimmers Amanda Schneider, Heather Bradford and Jennifer Bradford) show our kids that great things can happen right here and right now."

Schneider competed in the Olympics in Sidney, and the Bradfords were NCAA qualifiers for Kentucky.

 

By James Chance/ThisWeek
Adam Ritter (back) watches Eamon Cleary during the clinic.  

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Swimming: St. Charles grad sets sights on Olympics - Tuesday, August 7, 2007 By Jeremy McLaughlin jmclaughlin@dispatch.com
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

University of Arizona
Adam Ritter rebounded from a stress fracture in his back in high school to become a 17-time All-American in college.

Adam Ritter had pushed himself to exhaustion, only this time he wasn't in a pool. He spent most of this July night lifting weights, adding muscle to a chiseled frame that four years ago seemed as slim as a sheet of paper.

The following day, Ritter, a Reynoldsburg native and St. Charles graduate, would swim the 200-meter freestyle at the Janet Evans Invitational in Los Angeles. He expected to be sore, so he wasn't worried about a fast time, but he would keep in perspective his long-term goal: to make the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.

Ritter swam fast that next day and finished third, not bad given the circumstance. But he had more to celebrate. His time of 1 minute, 49.4 seconds was one-tenth of a second better than his previous personal best.

"It was a complete shock," Ritter said. "That was the best tuneup meet I've had before going to a big competition in a long time."

Life is that good for Ritter these days. When he expects to be down, he comes out on top. It has been that way for two years, since the former University of Arizona swimmer began shaving whole seconds, not just fractions, off his best times.

To a swimmer, that's huge.

This week, Ritter will swim the 100 and 200 freestyle and two relays at the World University Games in Thailand. It will give him an opportunity to see where he ranks on the world scene before trying out for the Olympic team in June.

Such a trip seemed unfathomable six years ago. Ritter, then a junior at St. Charles, had a stress fracture in his back. The original prognosis was that his season was over, and maybe his career. It was feared that the injury could lead to problems walking later in life.

A second opinion was more optimistic. Ritter wore a brace, went to therapy and healed fast enough to return before season's end. He placed seventh in the 200 free at the state meet.

"There was a point when (the injury) first occurred that we didn't know if he was going to ever swim again," St. Charles coach Kyle Goodrich said. "To come from that to this where he is now is unbelievable."

Ritter said the injury gave him a greater appreciation for swimming, which inspired him during successful junior and senior seasons. Though rail thin, he won the 200 free at state his senior year.

His career at Arizona had a similar timeline. He started slowly his freshman and sophomore years but bulked up and won three NCAA championships as part of Wildcats relay teams as a junior in 2006. He won two NCAA titles this year, saving his best for last. He swam the third-fastest time in U.S history to win the 200 individual medley. He finished as a 17-time All-American.

"To go from 1:44.1 (when he was second in 2006) to 1:41.7 (in 2007), that's a tremendous accomplishment," Arizona coach Frank Busch said. "I don't think anybody on our team or coaching staff expected that. If you push yourself, you can do pretty amazing things."

Ritter hopes the next big thing is a trip to Beijing. To earn that trip, he would have to finish in the top six in the 100 or 200 freestyle or finish in the top two in the 200 IM at the Olympic trials. Landing an Olympic berth will be tough, considering six-time gold medalist Michael Phelps competes in the same events. Phelps' presence, though, hasn't swayed Ritter's commitment.

"(Phelps) is the greatest swimmer this sport has ever seen," he said, "but if you step on the block and you feel overwhelmed, you are done. My thinking is if I can keep up with Michael Phelps, I can keep up with anybody."

http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/sports/stories/2007/08/07/swim07.ART_ART_08-07-07_C1_6I7I2FV.html

 

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Men's 400 freestyle relay

The United States' contingent of Matt McGinnis (49.61), Matt Grevers (48.45), Bryan Lundquist (49.48) and Adam Ritter (48.52) set a Games-record time of 3:16.06.

 

 

 

http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/15419.asp

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Men's 100 freestyle

Russia's Andrey Grechin picked up the gold medal with a time of 49.29, while the United States' Adam Ritter claimed silver in 49.70. Brazil's Fernando Silva rounded out the top three with a bronze-winning 49.71. 

http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/15427.asp

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http://usaswimming.org/USASWeb/ViewNewsArticle.aspx?TabId=0&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en&ItemId=1691&mid=3187

Team USA collects four medals on Second Day of World University Games (8/10/2007)

Team USA had a strong day in the pool Friday, taking home four medals on the second day of swim competition at the 2007 Summer World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand. The squad collected three gold medals and one silver at the Thammasat University Aquatic Center.

In her first event of the competition, Kaitlin Sandeno (Lake Forest, Calif./USC) won gold in the women's 200m I.M., setting a Universiade record in 2:12.13. The men’s 400m free relay team of Matthew McGinnis (Raleigh, N.C./Texas), Matt Grevers (Lake Forest, Ill./Northwestern), Bryan Lundquist (Marietta, Ga./Auburn) and Adam Ritter (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Arizona) also won gold with their Universiade record-setting swim of 3:16.06

“This is my first international competition, my first international race. So, to win a medal – especially a gold medal – in the first race is awesome. And, to share it with three other guys from my country just makes it that much sweeter,” said Ritter. “We accomplished our goal. We wanted to go about the time that we did – about 3:16. The Pan Am team that represented the U.S. about a month ago put up some really good times. And, our goal was to beat those and show that we’re also a good team.”

In the men’s 800m free, Chad LaTourette (Mission Viejo, Calif./Stanford) posted a Universiade record time of 7:49.90 to capture gold in his first World University Games appearance. Andrea Hupman (Lawrenceville, Ga./Northwestern) took home her second medal of the Games with her swim in the 100m free, earning silver in 55.36. Hupman won her first medal of the competition as part of the U.S. women's winning 400m free relay team.

Other members of Team USA also turned in strong performances Friday. Alicia Aemisegger (Oreland, Pa./Princeton) finished fourth in the 200m I.M. (2:14.51), Lauren English (Lincoln Park, N.J./Georgia) finished eighth in the 50m back (29.31), and Erin Reilly (Sacramento, Calif./UC Berkeley) finished seventh in the 100m fly in 59.95.

Swimming competition at the World University Games continues Saturday with the women’s 400m free, 200m breast, and 800m free relay, and the men's 100m breast, 50m back, 100m free, and 200m I.M. Preliminary competition begins at 9:30 a.m. local time and evening finals start at 5:30 p.m. local time.

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http://usaswimming.org/USASWeb/ViewNewsArticle.aspx?TabId=0&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en&ItemId=1695&mid=3187

 U.S. Women’s 800m Freestyle Relay Sets Games Record Twice, Wins Gold (8/11/2007)

The U.S. women’s 800m freestyle relay broke the World University Games record for the second time in one day and won gold during the third night of finals at the 2007 World University Games this evening. The relay squad of Kate Dwelley, Erin Reilly , Lindsay Smith and Kaitlin Sandeno, finished tonight’s final in 7:57.87 to claim the sixth swimming gold medal for Team USA. The time broke the mark of 8:03.22, which was set in prelims this morning.

“Our girls went in tonight with the goal of breaking eight minutes, and we wanted to see how far under we could get,” said Sandeno, who did not swim in prelims. “The record that was broken [this morning], had stood since 1995, so we wanted to establish a record that would last, and we wanted the gold.”

Adam Ritter claimed Team USA’s first medal of the evening, winning silver in the men’s 100m freestyle. While gold-medalist Andrey Grechin of Russia finished nearly a half-second ahead of the field, just three one-hundredths separated second and fourth places. Ritter battled Brazil’s Fernando Silva and the Ukraine’s Yuriy Yegoshin down the stretch, and out-touched both to take silver in 49.70. Silva finished in 49.71 for bronze while Yegoshin was fourth in 49.72.

“Tonight coming in to this I guess my mentality was ‘time really doesn’t matter.’ I knew it was going to be a close race with those guys, so I decided to just go out and try to hang on to the lead right from the start,” said Ritter. “I was a little bit slower than this morning, but no regrets. I was aggressive in the front half, so I’m happy with that.”

 

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http://usaswimming.org/USASWeb/ViewNewsArticle.aspx?TabId=0&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en&ItemId=1717&mid=3204

Adam Ritter: All about the Team (9/6/2007) - BY MIKE WATKINS//Special Correspondent

Growing up playing basketball, soccer and baseball as a youth, Adam Ritter grew into the consummate team player.

So when it came time to decide between those sports and the glaring singularity of swimming, Ritter’s choice proved easier than you might think.

“I was constantly hurting myself in dryland sports, and the water is much softer than the ground, so it was a pretty easy decision,” said Ritter, a fifth-year engineering major at the University of Arizona. “I’m still passionate about team sports, and I’m able to remain a member of a team in swimming despite it being individual events. I love relays.”

Ritter got a strong taste of teamwork this summer as a member of the U.S. team at the 2007 World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand.

It being his first time as a member of a USA Swimming team of any kind, Ritter approached the meet with a very serious attitude. In the process, he won three gold and two silver medals to lead the United States’ dominating performance.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love winning the medals, but this was my first meet representing the United States, and it meant a great deal to me just wearing the swim cap with the U.S. flag on it,” said Ritter, a 17-time All-American in four years at Arizona, despite never being named to a U.S. international team before this summer.

“I went to WUGs knowing I had a realistic shot at a medal or two, but to win five was amazing,” Ritter said. “The medals in the relays (gold in the 400 and 800 freestyle and silver in the 400 medley relay) meant the most because I did it as a member of a team.”

The product of a swimming family, Ritter was genetically destined to take the plunge. His father, James, swam at the University of Cincinnati, where his uncle Bob (Ritter) also swam and was an All-American. His uncle John (Ritter) was also a swimmer at the Miami University (Oxford, Ohio), and another uncle on his mom’s side, Ron (Flerlage) swam at Eastern Kentucky University. Adam’s younger brother, Kyle, also swam, as does his sister, Erin.

But having witnessed and read about kids getting burned out on the sport at a young age, Susan, Adam’s mom, wanted the kids to wait until they were was older to start swimming.

James, however, had other ideas and signed Adam up at age eight without Susan knowing

“My dad snuck out and signed me and Kyle up for summer league because he knew how much he loved swimming,” Ritter said. “I loved it right away, but I wasn’t what you’d call ‘good’ until much later.”

Ritter said he was recruited to swim at Arizona based on his potential, height and wing span (he’s 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-9 wing span), and was relatively ordinary until his junior year, when he became a multiple All-American.

Earlier this year, he won his only NCAA title in the 200 individual medley and rode that momentum to his performance at WUGs.

Now that he’s done swimming collegiately, Ritter’s focus has shifted to the next phase of his swimming career – 2008 Olympic Trials.

He just missed qualifying for Trials in 2004, but he’s already swam fast enough to compete in the 100 and 200 freestyle and 200 IM events next summer in Omaha.

And based on his fast times at WUGs – all personal bests – he can taste earning a spot on the team heading to Beijing next year. He knows he’ll face considerable competition from names like Phelps, Crocker, Lochte and others, but he’s far from intimidated.

“God wired me to race, and I intend to see how far I can go in the sport,” said Ritter, a gold medalist in the 200 freestyle at WUGs. “I know the competition will be tough at Trials, but that’s what I want. I believe if you go in intimidated or expecting not to win, you’re already giving them the win before you ever swim. That’s not my style.”
 

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