There are few teams in the Big 10 that get up year in and year out for dual meets like the Iowa Hawkeyes do, and much of their speed can be attributed to backstroke specialist Dustin Rhoads. For a team that has lost big seniors two years in a row (sprinters Paul Gordon, Duncan Partridge, and Ryan Phelan in 2012, Byron Butler and Jordan Huff in 2013 to name a few), Iowa has continued to create flexible and competent relays while holding their own in the individuals largely due to Dustin’s versatility.
An in-state product from the city of Ames, Rhoads has shown consistent improvement each year with the black and yellow. Since his freshman year, when Rhoads led off Iowa’s medley relay in a 49.29 at the 2011 Big Ten Championships, Dustin has developed his speed and endurance in both backstroke events steadily. During his junior year, he took 10th in the 100 back (47.22) and 12th in the 200 back (1:44.15) at the 2013 Big Ten Championships, and his personal bests in those two events are the 2nd and 4th fastest times respectively in school history. He has also participated in the third-fastest medley relay in school history, and competed in the 100 meter back at the 2012 Olympic Trials.
True to Iowa’s reputation of consistently posting impressive in-season times, Dustin has already approached or bettered his personal bests during the 2013-14 campaign. At the 2013 Hawkeye Invitational this past December, Rhoads dipped under 47 seconds in the 100 back for the first time (46.99) as a lead-off on the medley relay, and he also posted a very impressive 1:43.98 in the 200 back, which is just a few hundredths off his personal best from 2012. He is one of only 5 swimmers in the Big Ten to have already broken 47 seconds in-season in the 100 backstroke, and he also factors in the top 8 in the 200 backstroke on paper from his performance at the Iowa invitational. He has also been a personal best in the 50 free (20.75), an event which has typically been his third event at past Big Ten Championships.
Judging from his ability to fine-tune his technique and speed every year, it should come to no surprise that Dustin Rhoads will be one of Iowa’s most valuable weapons overall when Big Tens start in a few days. Throw in the fact that he will be chasing his junior teammate Grant Betulius, who is the school record holder in the 100 backstroke, and you have an incredibly competitive senior talented enough to make serious waves when it comes to crunch time.
Best Times (SCY/LCM):
50 free: 20.75/24.99
100 back: 46.99/56.12
200 back: 1:43.92/2:06/02
School Major/Degree: Sports Business
Favorite Event: 100 backstroke/200 Medley Relay
Favorite Hobby/Hidden Talent: Playing sports. I’m pretty good at every sport
Favorite Movie: The Guardian/Miracle
Role Model Growing Up/ Person You’d Like to Meet: My parents/Michael Phelps
Favorite Food/ Pre-Race Meal: Chicken, pasta, and rice
At what age did you become involved with swimming? How did you get into it?
I started at 8 years old on a YMCA team because my sister swam so I would always go along to watch and then leave to play basketball in the gym during the meets because it was my first favorite sport. Eventually I decided to try it with the influence of my parents and I have been swimming ever since.
What is your favorite collegiate swimming memory and why?
My favorite memory as a team is probably beating Minnesota my sophomore year in a dual meet because it had been a long time since we had and it’s a big rivalry. They are a great program with a lot of historic success which is what we are striving to become. Also, hosting B1G Championships and finishing top 5 as a team that year was a great memory. Individually, I would say qualifying for Olympic Trials and swimming there, placing top 8 a couple times at B1G Championships, and just traveling everywhere on trips with my teammates.
At the 2012 Olympic Trials you got the opportunity to swim in the final heat of the prelims session of the 100 backstroke with some big names like Ryan Lochte, Nick Thoman, and Eugene Godsoe. What was that like?
It was something I will never forget. Ryan told everyone good luck before the race and I felt like a little kid about to go swim with some of my idols in the sport. I didn’t swim as well as I wanted and actually hit the side wall in lane 9 because there wasn’t a lane line along the wall, but that didn’t matter after because I had fun and got to live out a dream of mine. I waited to get out of the pool and shook Lochte’s hand and told him great swim because I have so much respect for him and what he has done for the sport and USA swimming.
Two years ago, a very strong senior class led by Ryan Phelan, Duncan Partridge, and Paul Gordon helped the Hawkeyes win the 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relays at the 2012 Big Ten Championships. How did those guys’ leadership influence your experience at Iowa, and have you carried that knowledge with you as you lead your team this year?
Those guys were excellent swimmers and they helped change the program. With them leading us we became a top 10 team at one point during the season and top 3 not including diving at B1G Championships. They along with Jordan Huff and Byron Butler, seniors last season, really helped put Iowa Swimming back on the map. I learned a lot from all of them and most importantly was probably confidence. They all believed in themselves and thought they could win any race and it showed in those relays at Big Tens when no one else thought it was possible besides us. They had toughness and were scrappy and hated to lose. I think I am more of a quiet leader and like to lead by example in the pool, weight room, and classroom. I give 100% in every race and have a lot of confidence and I also hate to lose. I think those things are probably what I will be remembered here for, and watching and learning from those guys has definitely helped me in leading the team in my final season here at Iowa. They all finished their careers at NCAAs which is where I want mine to end this season.
Where did the team go for training trip this year? What was it like?
We traveled to San Diego, California and trained mostly at a private Catholic High School. It was great to get out of Iowa where at times it was below zero before we left. We did a lot of challenges as a team to try and help us become more accountable for little things, and help us become closer together as a team. I think the training and the challenges in San Diego will help and show at the upcoming B1G Championships. Our flight actually got canceled from Denver coming home so we all packed into one bus and had a 14 hour road trip to Iowa City to end the trip. My favorite part was going to UCSD and having a combined 3 hour practice with their teams. It was pretty challenging but cool to meet, compete, and train with those guys!
What/who do you think has been the single most important catalyst to your swimming career?
My parents and family have always been important to me and my swimming. Their love and support is incredible, they went to every swim meet of my college career and I will always remember that. I also would say my Ames High School coach Dan Flannery. He is such a great coach and guy and gets to know all of his athletes personally. He was like a second father to me and was always there for me to talk to through all the tough times and challenges that the sport of swimming brings. I am very lucky and thankful to have had him as a coach.
What do you plan on doing after you are done competing collegiately?
I really want to coach at the high school or collegiate level for swimming so I can stay involved in the sport, but I also would love to work for a professional or collegiate sports team doing something, or even maybe officiating some too. It’s safe to say that sports are not going to leave my life.
Who amongst your team’s freshmen class has impressed you the most this year?
It’s hard not to notice what Nick Zito has accomplished. He has won some events this year and been awarded Big Ten Freshman of the week. I also think Jackson Halsmer and Peter Grumhaus have done a great job in the shorter and mid distance freestyles. I think they all have had ups and downs because freshman year is a big adjustment to everything. I believe they all are ready to take the next step and have a great conference championship meet and bring that confidence into next season like some of our sophomores have done this season. They all have been important to our teams success this season and will be a key piece to our achievements at Big Tens!
What should we look forward to from Iowa at this year’s Big Ten Championships?
I think a lot of guys that the conference hasn’t heard much of will breakout and make a big impact in this meet and be in scoring positions. For instance:
Andrew Marciniak – 100/200 breast
Quillan Oak – 100/200 breast
Tyler Lentz – 200/400 IM
Grant Betulius – 100/200 back
Andrew Parker – 200 back
David Ernstsson – freestyles
Jackson Allen – freestyle/butterfly
These are just a few of the guys as we are hoping for everyone to try and score to help us move up from placing 7th as a team last year. This is our biggest meet of the season so you can expect the Hawkeyes to be ready to race! We had arguably the toughest schedule this season so we have raced against almost everyone in this meet already. Also, we are bringing 3 divers and are hoping they can get us some points in the diving well where we have greatly lacked in the past. Overall we are excited for the opportunity to race and be in the best conference championship meet in the country! We know we will have to be fast, but that’s why we train hard all season. It’s going to be fun!
