Prep boys swimming: East's Zelen is speedy in a speedo

By Louie St. George Today at 9:41 p.m.

Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com Duluth East junior swimmer Ryan Zelen has his sights set high in the pool. 1 / 2

Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com Duluth East junior swimmer Ryan Zelen swims the butterfly stroke during a practice at Ordean East pool Wednesday. 2 / 2

Ryan Zelen could do worse than follow in the wake of his uncle, Matt Zelen, a 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier who still holds swimming records at Duluth East.

He went on to claim a Division III national title at St. John's, where his name checkers the Johnnies' official record book. Aside from program bests in the 50-yard freestyle, 100 free and 100 butterfly, Matt Zelen certainly maintains the unofficial mark for fastest race in the nude.

That happened in 1998, when he forgot to tie his suit before diving into the pool during a home meet. The suit slipped off almost immediately, he kept splashing and blew away the field to win the 100 fly. A uniform disqualification negated that result, but it wasn't a total loss for Zelen.

He appeared on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" to rehash his bare breakthrough.

(In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, noting that his grandmother was at the meet, he said, "I promised her if I had been swimming the backstroke, I would have quit right away.")

So while Ryan Zelen would like to replicate his uncle's success in the water, he'll happily bypass the wardrobe malfunction.

"I've been lucky enough that it's stayed on every time so far," the East junior said before practice Wednesday.

What have been coming down are Zelen's times. He recently established a school record in the 100 freestyle of 47.34 seconds, and is well on his way to reaching a third consecutive state meet in March. Zelen also excels in the 50 free and 100 fly, though Greyhounds coach Sandy Verry would like to enter him in every event.

"He can do just about anything he wants to do — he's that good of a swimmer," Verry said.

If ever a kid was destined for the pool, it was Zelen. He comes from a swimming family, to say the least. Both his parents — Dan, who also remains an East record-holder, and Camille — swam at North Dakota, and older brother Tyler competes in the Big Ten at Wisconsin. Tyler, who started his college career at North Dakota until that program was cut, participated in the U.S. Open Swimming Championships last summer.

"It's in his genes," Verry said.

Combined with a laser-like focus on improving, Zelen's potential is boundless. He boasts times this year of 21.68 seconds and 55.10 seconds in the 50 free and 100 fly, respectively. And the 47.34 in the 100 free, his specialty, figures to drop even lower than the 46.76 Zelen produced for the Lake Superior Swim Club. He hopes to be right around 46 by sections and, assuming he advances, in the 45s at state, which would give him a chance at a top-three finish in Class AA.

Zelen, 6-foot and 162 pounds, admits that's ambitious.

"It'd take a good race and I'll really have to focus for these next two months of training, but I think it's possible," he said.

One thing is certain: He's going to pursue it like crazy.

It's a good thing he's 17 and the owner of a driver's license. That's because Zelen is swimming at the YMCA by 5:45 a.m. most weekdays. He's done at the Y by 7:30, and from there heads to Impact Sports Training in Lincoln Park to lift weights until 8:45. Zelen doesn't have a first-hour class at East, giving him time to hustle home for a shower and breakfast before starting school.

"He's very focused on what he wants to do," Verry said. "I believe he wants to go above and beyond the college level, to the Olympic level and the sponsorship level. And, at this point, he's that good."

A competitive swimmer since he was 6 years old, Zelen said his parents didn't force the sport on him. They encouraged him to try it and pushed him to do his best, but by middle school Zelen didn't need any outside motivation. He was setting goals for himself.

"I'm at the level where they're not really pushing me super hard," he said. "To be successful at this level, you really have to push yourself."

• Led by Zelen and record-setting diver Miles Rohrbaugh, the Duluth team — East and Duluth Denfeld combine in the regular season, but split up for sections — will look for a strong showing at its own meet Saturday.

The Duluth Invitational at Lincoln Park Middle School starts with diving at 9 a.m. The swimming begins at 1 p.m.

Ten teams and 230 swimmers are scheduled to participate.

Prep Newsmaker: Ryan Zelen

Prep status: Duluth East junior

Age: 17

Sports: Swimming

GPA: 4.0

Family: Father, Dan; mother, Camille; brothers, Tyler, Joey and Will

Pets: Sadie, a Labradoodle and Rocky, a turtle

College plans: Undecided

Face-to-face with Ryan Zelen

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