IU postgrad Zane Grothe came away victorious in the men’s 400 freestyle at the 2017 Phillips 66 US Swimming Nationals.
Grothe has been training with the team for two years and his hard work paid off Friday, June 30 when he collected gold at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis.
Head coach Ray Looze said watching Grothe finally succeed was one of the best highlights of the IU swim season for him.
“To see the smile on his face after he won was just really awesome,” Looze said. “It was just a really special evening for Indiana-based swimmers.”
His time of 3:44.43 was the fifth fastest time in the world this year and ranks No. 7 all-time by an American. Grothe’s efforts have earned him a spot in this event on Team USA for the upcoming World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
He’ll also join teammate Blake Pieroni in the 4x200 relay after their performances in the 200 freestyle earlier this month. Grothe qualified with a third-place time of 1:46.39, just behind Pieroni.
Austin Ghirardelli
