The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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136 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY TIM PEELER T hen swimming coach and later athletic director Willis Casey found young swimmer Steve Rerych at a pool in New Jersey and brought him to NC State to continue the Wolfpack's tradition as one of the top college swimming programs in the country. Rerych certainly delivered. In three years, he never lost a race in an ACC Championship meet. He won three indi- vidual events (the 50 freestyle, the 100 free and the 200 free) three consecutive years, and threw in four conference relay titles for good measure. In all, the native of Paterson, N. J., won 13 ACC titles for the Wolfpack, something no other athlete, in any other sport, can claim. As a team, Casey's Pack won three straight titles with Rerych, who was a three-time All-American. Those accomplishments by themselves might have been enough to earn him a spot as a member of the third class of the NC State Athletic Hall of Fame, but it barely scratches the surface of his impressive ath- letic and personal résumé. "I'm grateful that they thought enough of my achievements that they wanted to induct me," said Rerych. "I think anytime your alma mater recognizes you — in ath- letics, in academics or as a philanthropist — is just marvelous." Rerych was completely dominant in the pool, even though he did not win an NCAA championship in his career, capturing an AAU national title and finishing second at the 1966 NCAA meet. He also made a bit of a mark as a relief pitcher on NC State's baseball team. He was proud to be inducted at the same time as former Wolfpack baseball coach Sam Esposito. However, Rerych saved his greatest ef- fort for international swimming. In 1968, he became the first NC State athlete to ever qualify for an Olympic team and the first ACC athlete in any sport to win multiple gold medals. He was a member of one of the greatest swimming foursomes in American history. He joined Ken Walsh, Zac Zorn and the legendary Mark Spitz to win the 400 and 800 freestyle relay titles in the 1968 Mex- ico City Olympics, setting a world record in the 400 along the way. "He came ready for war," said former NC State teammate Pat Gavaghan. "It didn't matter if it was the 50, the 100 or the 200, his only goal when he jumped into the pool was to win." To some extent, the swimmers' accom- plishments were overshadowed by the tu- multuous national events at the time, com- ing out of the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago and the continued fight for civil rights in America. In fact, what most remember about the Mexico City games is the political protest made by sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who wore black gloves and raised their fists while standing on the podium, after they finished first and third, respec- tively, in the 200-meter dash. They were banned for life from Olympic competition for what they did. "It was certainly a time of political up- heaval, with civil rights protests, war pro- tests, all kinds of things," Rerych said. "I loved being at the Olympics. I will never forget standing on the podium and hearing ■ PACK PAST Swimmer Steve Rerych Found Success In The Pool And In Life Rerych, a member of the third class of the NC State Athletic Hall of Fame, won 13 ACC titles for the Wolfpack, something no other athlete, in any other sport, can claim. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS