They say time can be man’s worst enemy, but senior Dan Forsythe of the N.C. State Men’s Swim team knows how to beat the concept of time in the pool. This past weekend Forsyth broke an unprecedented two school records at the ACC Championships in the pools of Georgia Tech.
On Friday, Forsythe, a senior in mechanical engineering added a new school record and hit a “B” cut with a 54.37 in the 100-yard breaststroke, beating both his own and the previous school record of 54.97. The following day he set yet another school record with a 1:59.17 in the 200-yard breaststroke. However, he was not alone in his feats. Freshman Barrett Miesfeld set a new school record in the 100 butterfly and hit a “B” cut with a 47.49. The Pack finished eighth overall at the ACC Championships.
“It was a decent finish for us for the year,” Forsythe said. “I thought team performance was good, [it] definitely improved from last year, this year we had five or six individuals score and earn ‘B’ cut.”
Forsythe has been both a veteran to the sport of swimming and a crucial part of head coach Brooks Teal’s roster for the 4 years he has been at N.C. State. His expertise in the breaststroke has allowed him to continue improving his college career and passion for water.
“I had a good freshman year [at N.C. State],” Forsythe said. “Sophomore year was bit of a block, as I had tried some new stuff, but it soon picked it up again later in the year. It has been good since.”
Forsythe began swimming for the Pack in 2007, bringing his skills in the breaststroke to the table with a few appearances in the individual medley relay. His high school career took place at Father Ryan High School in Nashville, Tennessee, where his hard work and studious behavior did not go unnoticed.
“In high school, during my senior year, I received the Father Fleming award,” Forsythe said. “I also got the award for best overall athlete both in and out of the classroom for my graduating class.”
The Reverend William J. Fleming Award is the highest award a senior student-athlete can receive at Father Ryan High School. It is given to recognize an outstanding student-athlete whose life apart from sports is a true reflection of faith, knowledge and service, and is seen as a role model for others to follow.
There is no doubt as to why Forsythe was a candidate for this award. His junior year in high school Forsythe was as a state champion in the 100-yard breaststroke along with being a 4 time NISCA Academic All-American, twice for the breaststroke and twice for the individual medley relay.
Since his freshman year at N.C. State Forsythe has been setting crucial marks and looking forward to bigger things he could do with his swimming career. In 2008, during his freshman season, Forsythe competed in the U.S. Olympic trials in the 100 meter breaststroke.
“I finished something like 40th at the trials, but qualified for [a bid] to the 2012 Olympic trials,” Forsythe said. “It was a fun to see swimmers like Michael Phelps and other veteran swimmers who would come to watch the trials.”
Forsythe’s college career has come with many back-to-back accomplishments in the pool. Some of these accredited achievements include recording two Top-10 All-Time swims in school history in the 2008-2009 season, including fifth in the 100-yard breaststroke with a 55.49 and 8th in the 200-yard breaststroke with a 2:01.87. Later in the 2008-2009 season, he continue his storied career with his feats at the U.S. Open, where he swam a 2:19.16 in the 200-meter breaststroke.
However, last weekend was Forsythe’s last race as a member of the Wolfpack. As the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Minneapolis nears, it is understood that qualifications are very difficult. Even with his two new school records, posting a “B” cut is not enough to earn a bid to the championships.
But plans for his future have not gone unnoticed. With a vigorous major and a passion for the pool, one would only expect a successful transition to the post-graduate life.
“I decided I’m going into the real world,” Forsythe said. “I hope to find a job in mechanical engineering somewhere and try to stay in shape for the 2012 Summer Olympic Trials.”
