The NC State swimming and diving team has continued to grow and find more success in the last few years than it has in the recent past. Last season, the men’s team won the ACC Championship for the first time in 23 years with record-breaking swims.
The men’s team continued to dominate at the NCAAs with several individual top times and successful relay finishes, including the second-place 400-yard freestyle relay.
This recent success has brought a spotlight back onto NC State’s program and sparked interest from top recruits both nationally and globally. Some of these top freshmen include Patrik Schwarzenbach from Salenstein, Switzerland, and Justin Ress from Cary.
“I’m looking most forward to dual meets,” Ress said. “I’m so excited to start the dual meets and know what it’s like to swim for something bigger than yourself. NC State excels academically and the team is headed down the right path with [head coach] Braden [Holloway] and the coaching staff. I love them and the energy the team has as well.”
Ress was named Age Group Swimmer of the Year in 2014, was the 2015 4A State Championship MVP and was both an All-American and Scholastic All-American in the 2014 and 2015 seasons. As a freshman, the collegiate level swimming scene is new to Ress and some adjustments are necessary to compete on this level.
“I’ve never lifted weights before, so the first day I was feeling so sore,” Ress said. “I like all the energy the coaches and swimmers put into every little thing they do, and I’m so excited to do a meet like that because I want to experience that for myself.”
Aside from Ress and Schwarzenbach, other notable swimmers have joined the Wolfpack for the upcoming season, including junior Virginia Tech transfer Joe Bonk.
“I grew up in Raleigh watching NC State swimming,” Bonk said. ”When I was younger, they weren’t exactly the top of the ACC or upper echelon by any means, so I didn’t have the best opinion of the team.”
While at Virginia Tech, Bonk was both an ACC and NCAA All-American and part of the ACC Championship winning 400 medley relay in 2013. Despite his success with the Hokies, Bonk chose to continue his swimming career with the Pack at the beginning of his junior year.
“I’m happy that I’m here right now,” Bonk said. “The program and especially the sprint program, is unparalleled in the NCAA. It’s the best place to train. I’ve been with the team for three or four months now, and I’m seeing gains that I haven’t seen in three or four years. I’m so proud to be here right now.”
The recent change and adjustments in both school and swimming environments has also brought high expectations for the junior transfer.
“Expectation wise, I just want to be pushed every day,” Bonk said. “I expect every day to be pushed farther than what I think I can do and I expect the coaches and my fellow swimmers to push me to my full potential and make an environment that’s all about winning and all about getting better together.”
After losing sprinters such as David Williams last season, Bonk will serve as quick replacement for the Wolfpack. Ress will help the team in the IM, freestyle and backstroke events. The Pack has proved its speed and versatility over the past few seasons and continues to build upon its strong team foundation.
