10-year-old Highland Parker makes a splash at state, regional summer season swim meets

For most 10-year-olds, summer season means lengthy days away from faculty and with loads of time to play. 

For Ray Ryser, of Highland Park, it additionally meant standing atop championship podiums.

Competing for Highland Park Aquatics Club and Team Illinois, Ryser received state and Midwest titles this summer season in a breakthrough season that alerts a vibrant future within the pool.

On July 25 and 26, Ryser received the Illinois age group state championship at Libertyville High School. And on Aug. 6-9, Ryser received the Midwest zone championship on the University of Minnesota’s Jean Freeman Aquatic Center. 

Ryser is a fifth-grader at Ravinia Elementary School, and HPAC is an area year-round youth swim program that, with Team Illinois, introduced collectively greater than 850 prime Midwest youth to symbolize their respective state groups for the Midwest zone championship. 

At the state championship, Ryser completed in first place within the 50- and 100-yard freestyles, second within the 50 backstroke and 100 backstrokes, fifth within the 200 freestyle and seventh within the 200 butterfly. 

Ryser additionally took residence Midwest zone championship decorations, putting first within the 50 freestyle, second as a part of the 200 freestyle and 200 medley relays, fourth within the 50 backstroke, eighth within the 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke, fifteenth within the 200 freestyle, and 18th within the 50 butterfly.

“I was really happy when I found out I won because I’ve been working for this for a long time,” Ryser stated.

Behind the Swims

Ryser’s dad and mom, Bob and Molly Ryser, can attest to their son’s “dedication” and “discipline” to achieve his objectives that has gotten him to achieve success in competitors, whereas additionally seeing him “having fun along the way.” 

“It was kind of amazing to see him stay calm under pressure,” Molly Ryser stated. “To get up on the blocks and see him do what he knows how to do on a big stage was impressive.” 

Ryser practices swimming three to 4 instances per week to maintain his degree. And he additionally performs a variety of different sports activities to maintain him bodily match. 

He credit his “hard work of showing up to practice,” making “adjustments” in competitors and speaking to his pals earlier than competitors, or “hyping each other up,” as contributors to his success. 

He stated he felt nervous in some races however considering “whatever happens, happens,” helped him get by it. 

Ryser most loved his championship 100 freestyle race at state in addition to the 50 backstroke and 50 freestyle races within the Midwest zone, calling them “a lot of fun.”

Swimming within the pool as a child, Ryser shortly acknowledged that he was good at it. That realization led him to start out competing within the sport. He joined a swim group at 8 years outdated, with the help of his sister and new pals he’d made.

“I’ve always been a competitive kid,” Ryser stated. “It feels good to race against other people then see what the results are.” 

His subsequent aim is successful extra state and Midwest zone medals and making it to the junior nationals. Although he feels it is going to be tough, he believes in himself. 

Coach Speak 

To Matt Nolan, head developmental coach at HPAC, Ryser “really grew up.” 

Nolan has coached Ryser for 3 seasons and famous his evolution from an 8-year-old with “a lot of talent” to a 10-year-old state and zone champ.

Ryser’s potential to be a profitable swimmer was evident in final 12 months’s state meet, Nolan stated. Nolan recalled Ryser ending second and third in a couple of occasions. 

“That’s when I saw that he was really motivated to hit that next level and really get to the top of that mountain,” Nolan stated. “You could tell in his demeanor on the pool deck that he really wanted to succeed. You could tell he was going to really kill it at the end of the summer.”

Over the previous 12 months, Nolan watched Ryser deal with the main points, which is what acquired him to that subsequent degree.

When Ryser loses, he reportedly asks himself what went flawed, serving to him perceive the best way to enhance and switch round and are available again. 

Ryser has a whole lot of good mechanics which are uncommon for 9- and 10-year-olds, stated Nolan. He has sturdy flip turns and good underwaters, and bodily he’s “built like a truck,” Nolan stated. 

In competitors, Nolan seen Ryser’s sturdy want to beat his opponent and the boldness to take action — so on race day he simply executes, Nolan stated.

The teaching workers at HPAC anticipated Ryser to do effectively within the freestyle occasions however his performances within the backstroke and distance occasion made the meets much more particular to Nolan. 

Nolan was equally impressed with Ryser’s Midwest zone efficiency of swimming “lights out” in that fifty freestyle and relays. 

Ryser’s strongest race is his dash freestyle, per Nolan, who added that his begin and distance per stroke are his strongest qualities. 

What’s contributed to the success of the general group, “The Mighty Giants,” the group Nolan coaches for prime 10-year-old and underneath swimmers, is that every swimmer had somebody to look as much as who was going sooner than them, which is “very helpful,” for the swimmers, Nolan stated. 

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