Throughout most of his Virginia swimming career, senior Yannick Kaeser has been the crown of the program. Representing Switzerland in 2012 Summer Olympics, Kaeser has gone on to break two Virginia records in the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke.
This Wednesday-Saturday, he will be competing in his third-consecutive NCAA Championships in Atlanta, Ga.
“[Kaeser’s] diligence and attention to detail when he trains is second to none,” coach Augie Busch said. “It’s the best on our team.”
Entering college after representing the Swiss national team, Kaeser had to balance the life of a student athlete in a new country. However, academic culture in the United States helped him adjust, he said.
“For me, [competing in the United States] was a big step because it’s a lot easier to combine swimming and studying in the U.S. than it is back home,” he said.
Reflecting on his time as a Cavalier, Kaeser said he’s proud of his second-place finishes in the 200-yard breaststroke at the 2014 and 2016 ACC Championships. However, his biggest accomplishment is setting some Virginia records, he said.
“[My proudest accomplishment] was breaking the two school records in the 100 and 200 breaststroke,” he said. “That was one of my goals coming in here. You see the names on the board everyday, and you want to make sure you break these records.”
Last week, Kaeser went back to Switzerland for nationals and qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This is his main goal going forward, he said. After that, he plans on potentially swimming for the next three or four years, but he is uncertain if he will stay in the U.S.
While Kaeser was the sole Virginia swimmer at the NCAA Championships last year, he will be joined by freshman Zach Fong this year.
“Zach’s a natural born leader,” Busch said. “He’s going to be captain of our team some day, maybe as soon as his second year.”
As a former New Jersey state champion in the 100-yard butterfly and the 500-yard freestyle, Fong will be representing Virginia in the 200-yard butterfly at the NCAA Championships. Kaeser admires his effort, he said.
“He gives his best everyday in practice, and it has been a really good time training with him for the past year,” Kaeser said. “I wish I could be here for another one or two years to train with him because he’s one of the guys that puts everything else on the side and can focus really well on his races.”
For Busch, Fong represents what’s to come for the Virginia men’s swimming and diving team.
“Zach represents a building block for the future of the program,” Busch said. “He’s the only freshman here [and] he’s a guy who’s going to make it four years in a row to this meet.”
Ultimately, the Cavaliers won’t have much representation at this meet, but Busch is excited about what his two swimmers have in store.
“These are such good guys who have worked so hard,” he said. “We’re really pumped about what they can do.”
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