“He will definitely be an Olympic Trial qualifier,” Naval Academy Aquatic Club Head Coach Hilary Yager says. “He will be in that category, which is pretty unique and elite.” All of that success landed him a spot on the Florida State University Swim team. Rich signed a National Letter of Intent in January.
Photography by Steve Buchanan
“He is probably one of the most talented and decorated athletes to ever come through Gunston,” Athletic Director Josh Breto says. “We have maybe one or two Division I athletes a year. It’s one of the more high-caliber colleges we have ever sent an athlete to.”
TOWNE ATHLETE
Andrew Rich
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Gunston School Swimming By Tom Worgo
unston School has produced its share of great athletes over the past two decades, and then there’s Andrew Rich.
Rich, a recent graduate of the school, has regularly competed in national swimming events up and down the East Coast, including the International Swim Coaches Association Nationals as recently as March. Rich developed his skills competing for the Naval Academy Aquatic Club, and he holds a bunch of records there. 28 What’s Up? Eastern Shore | September 2023 | whatsupmag.com
Two things greatly appealed to Rich about Florida State long-time Head Swimming Coach Neal Studd and the attention and respect the Seminoles’ program receives. Studd was named his conference’s Coach of the Year six times and he also coached the 2012 Olympic team.
HE IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST TALENTED AND DECORATED ATHLETES TO EVER COME THROUGH GUNSTON” and the nutritionists with the football team. They have really great training equipment, which benefits the swimmers there.” To prepare for the upcoming season that starts in mid-September, the 6-foot, 172-pound Rich went down to Tallahassee, Florida, in mid-June for grueling weight-training workouts and swimming practices. That means eight or nine sessions across seven days. Rich, who specializes in the freestyle, feels the practices will be very beneficial for him and help him get his swimming times down.
Studd’s men’s team finished ranked 22nd in the country in the 2023 College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America final poll.
“I want to grow as a swimmer and see if I can get closer to making The Olympic trials,” Rich says. “I want to do it to get the feel of the atmosphere and my teammates. I want to work out with the other athletes lifting weights, too.”
“They have a much better coach,” Rich says, comparing him to other college coaches. “The swimming team shares all the training faculties
It was inevitable that Rich would swim in college. The website Swimcloud. com ranked him 2023’s No. 4 recruit in Maryland and No. 109 nationally.