From Indiana U operations desk to Pan Pacs podium: Van Mathias’ 5-medal breakout in the pool

IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — Van Mathias made a huge splash in his U.S. senior national team debut this week at the Pan Pacific Championships, the biggest international swim meet of the year for the Americans.

He won three golds and two silvers in five events, capped by swimming the breaststroke leg on the winning 4 x 100-meter medley relay Saturday night in the outdoor pool some 40 miles from the site of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Quite a stunner from a guy whose day job is director of operations for Indiana University’s swimming and diving program. Mathias, who turns 26 later this month, swam five years for the Hoosiers. He then hung up his suit and goggles and went home to Beaverton, Oregon.

He worked various jobs, mostly stayed out of the water, and took up weightlifting with his mother and uncle, both former competitive lifters.

Then he got a call from IU coach Ray Looze, who was looking for an operations director. Mathias got the gig and moved back to Bloomington, where he oversees team travel, recruiting visits and all the little things that keep a Division I program running.

“Even just last week I was in the office pushing papers,” he said. “Got a busy fall coming up for IU athletics. I haven’t cracked my laptop in a couple days, so probably falling behind.”

Maybe on land. Not so in the water.

Mathias swam the breaststroke leg on the Americans’ victorious 4 x 100 mixed medley relay that set a world record. He won the 100 breast in a championship-record time. He earned silver in the 50 butterfly and tied for silver in the 50 breast. Then he finished the four-day meet off with another relay gold.

“I don’t take this for granted,” he said.

Mathias competed in butterfly at the U.S. trials for the Tokyo Olympics, but didn’t come close to making the team. He switched to breaststroke in his final collegiate season and finished second in the NCAA Championships.

It wasn’t until last year that Mathias and Looze entertained the idea of him competing again, given the declining state of men’s breaststroke in the U.S. and the addition of 50-meter breast, fly and backstroke to the 2028 Olympic program.

Within a couple of months, he had qualified for Pan Pacs.

“Maybe to be this good at breaststroke,” Mathias joked, “you got to not swim it for six years.”

He projects an easygoing attitude, perhaps because of his winding career path.

“It’s taught me a lot of lessons, given me a lot of experience and wisdom,” he said. “When you swim your best, you’re pretty relaxed.”

Besides his swimming, Mathias’ black mustache makes him a standout on the pool deck. His girlfriend has been passing out stick-on ‘staches to other swimmers and fans this week.

“It’s a look good, feel good thing. It gives me confidence,” he said. “There’s also some guys that just rock great mustaches — Tom Selleck, Kurt Rambis, look him up, Mark Spitz, John Naber. Legends. Hopefully, I can add myself to that Mount Rushmore of moustaches.”

And find himself on the podium at the LA Olympics.

“Hopefully I just keep getting better and better,” he said.

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