The trip from Phoenix to the capital state bore fruit for New Zealand-born Swift, whose podium presence placed him inside the current top 10 US collegiate swimmers.
With aims to make the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ‘A’ cut, Swift hit the starting blocks strongly on Thursday to headline the Arizona State Sun Devils team that clinched second in the 4x200 yard freestyle.
Timed to perfection, the Sun Devils’ effort smashed the school record by two seconds, while also posting the seventh fastest time in the current USA division one swimming season.
Throwing his hat in the ring on Saturday, Swift scythed past the competition to reach the wall first in the 100 yard freestyle preliminaries, before posting a 42.05 in the final to collect silver.
Beaten to the punch only by California’s Ryan Hoffer, Swift’s podium finish eventuated as the eighth-fastest time in the country throughout this season.
As head coach of the Shepparton Swimming Club, Swift’s mother Michelle is ecstatic with her son’s progression overseas.
“His performance at PAC-12 is ticking all the boxes,” she said.
“He improved all his rankings and times from his first appearance at PACs last year, making two individual A finals and a B final and gaining his first individual silver medal in his favourite event the 100 yards free.
“He also gained multiple medals in relay events and managed to break 42 seconds for the first time going 41.98 in the lead off for the silver medal-winning 4x100 yards free relay.”
These latest gongs signal an impressive third year studying at Arizona State, where he has made waves since switching from Eastern Michigan in 2018.
Prior to his journey across the Pacific, Swift first showed promise in the Goulburn Valley under his mother’s supervision, and is now serving as a measuring stick for Shepparton prospects wishing to reach a similar standard of swimming.
“As his mother and Shepparton club coach, it is exciting for both our family and the club to see him performing so well on the international stage, and it is certainly inspirational for our swimmers to be able to watch a member from our own club program compete at such a high level,” she said.
“The American college scholarship program opens up a world of opportunities for our regional swimmers that may not have been previously available to them both sporting-wise and academically.”