Switkowski Relishes Special Moment at NCAA Championships

Senior Jan Switkowski after his first individual NCAA national title. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)

Switkowski Relishes Special Moment at NCAA Championships

Saturday, March 24, 2018 | Men's Swimming & Diving, Scott Carter

Florida senior Jan Switkowski, more than five years after meeting Ryan Lochte, got a medal from the former UF great after winning his first individual national title.

By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer

MINNEAPOLIS – When you are teammates and roommates with Caeleb Dressel, it's easy to get overshadowed. Dressel is swimming's favorite son right now.

Still, Gators senior Jan Switkowski is not just some Saturday-morning splasher at the local YMCA pool. Switkowski is a world-class competitor who is having his own spectacular showing at this week's NCAA men's swimming and diving championships.

Switkowski won the first NCAA title of his career on Thursday by swimming an 18.52-second split as the Gators won the first 200-yard free relay in school history. Switkowski's time would have been good enough for second behind Dressel's record (17.63) in the 50 free if he competed in the event as an individual.

Instead, Switkowski specializes in the 200 IM and shined when it was his turn. Switkowski claimed his first individual NCAA crown by posting a career-best time of 1:39.54.

"He's worked hard all year," UF coach Gregg Troy said. "He's one of those guys that fell a little bit short last year, was real disappointed and kind of dedicated himself. Got a double disappointment this summer, got sick at the World Championships and we didn't see exactly what we thought. Came back this fall and to his credit, just got back in and went again."

Switkowski offered a mix of relief and joy at the victory.

A native of Lublin, Poland, Switkowski started his career at Virginia Tech before transferring to Florida as a sophomore. Now a senior who represented Poland in the 2016 Rio Olympics, Switkowski has blossomed into a standout in his own right.

52541 — Jan Switkowski receives the championship trophy from Olympian Ryan Lochte for winning the 200 IM national title. (Photo: Justin Casterline/UAA Communications)

"That was awesome. That's something I wanted since I came to college,'' he said of his 200 IM victory. "I had a good summer in 2015 and then after that, I had so many fourth places, ninth places, 17th places. I always missed out on the big swims.

"I told myself it's not going to happen again. I just put in a lot of work and I'm glad it paid off."

Switkowski returned Friday night with another big performance, winning silver in the 100 fly with a career-best time of 44.49 seconds, second to Dressel's American and NCAA record time of 42.80.

No one is more excited for Switkowski and fellow senior teammate Mark Szaranek than Dressel, who is thankful the three will have their names together on the Gators' champions wall at the O'Connell Center as part of UF's 200 free national championship relay team.

"All three of us in a row. I can probably cry about it right now,'' Dressel said. "We're going to be on that wall forever. The three besties of friends. It just means so much. I love that relay. We went out with a bang. No one can take that away from us."

Switkowski's national title in the 200 IM had special meaning, too.

Gators Great and 12-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte presented Switkowski with the gold on the medal stand.

Switkowski's mind flashed back to more than five years ago when he was a young prep swimmer competing in the 2012 World Short-Course Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, the first international meet of his career. Lochte, fresh off a breakout performance at the 2012 London Olympics, dominated the meet.

"It was very special,'' Switkowski said. "I wasn't that good, but I got to swim a 100 IM semifinal with him where he broke the short-course world record. I came up to him after the race and I said, 'it was an honor to swim with you.' A few years later I get a trophy from him, I get to train with him, so dreams come true."