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INDIANAPOLIS – By day, Van Mathias is Indiana University‘s director of operations for swimming. On weekends like this one, he is one of many quickest breaststrokers within the United States.
This week, the previous Hoosier broke two American information on the TYR Pro Swim Series in Indianapolis. By Monday morning, he’ll be again within the workplace catching up on the emails that piled up whereas he was racing.
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“I’m sorry to everyone that I haven’t responded to this week on my email,” Mathias mentioned. “I’ll get back to you guys on Monday.”
Mathias opened the meet Wednesday by reducing his American document within the 50-meter breaststroke to 26.53 seconds, shaving four-hundredths off the mark he set in January.
He capped the meet Saturday by breaking the American document within the 100 breaststroke, touching the wall in 58.01 seconds. The swim made him the fourth-fastest performer in history and left him simply one-hundredth of a second shy of turning into the primary American to interrupt the 58-second barrier.
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“Both were good,” Mathias mentioned. “I didn’t have any expectations. Just go for it.”
Instead of specializing in what he narrowly missed, Mathias is taking a look at what comes subsequent.
“I think just missing it by a little bit is going to keep us hungry for more,” Mathias mentioned. “I wouldn’t ask for it any other way. Gotta stay motivated, gotta stay hungry.”
Just three years in the past, Mathias believed he had closed the chapter on his aggressive profession. A return to elite swimming — and American information in breaststroke — wasn’t a part of the plan.
For most of his career, he specialised in middle-distance butterfly. During his fifth season at IU, he shifted his focus to dash freestyle and breaststroke, incomes NCAA All-America honors earlier than stepping away from competitors after the 2023 NCAA Championships to turn into the Hoosiers’ director of operations.
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Two years later, Mathias and Indiana’s teaching workers watched the outcomes of the 2025 U.S. Swimming Trials on the IU Natatorium and got here to the identical conclusion: He might compete with the nation’s finest.
Mathias returned to coaching. Just eight weeks later, he earned a spot on the U.S. nationwide group by swimming 26.76 seconds within the 50-meter breaststroke on the U.S. National Championships in Irvine, California, qualifying for the Pan Pacific Championships.
Now, Mathias is balancing worldwide competitors with the day-to-day duties of serving to run one of many nation’s premier school swimming applications.
“It’s been unique,” Mathias mentioned. “I’m kind of riding a fine line between the two right now. Trying to figure that out still.”
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The balancing act turns into a bit simpler through the summer time, when Indiana’s workload slows, giving him extra time to coach. But after per week that included two American information, his focus shortly shifts again to the workplace.
“Hit a hard reset this next week,” Mathias mentioned. “Get back in the office, push some paper and get ready for the rest of the summer.”
As for what’s subsequent within the pool, Mathias is not overcomplicating it.
“Let’s keep having fun,” Mathias mentioned. “Just keep racing.”
Jessica Garcete is an IndyStar sports activities reporter.
This article initially appeared on Indianapolis Star: Van Mathias breaks two American records, balances Indiana swimming operations role
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