Indiana swimming coach Ray Looze is thankful for the quality time he spent over the past week with Hoosiers rising junior Josh Matheny.
It led to a particularly fruitful discovery.
“He’s been riding in my truck a lot, and I discovered his secret weapon,” Looze said.
During one of their commutes to the Phillips 66 National Championships at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis, Looze said Matheny confided in him that before competing, the 2021 Upper St. Clair graduate likes to listen to the 1996 hit by British R&B singer Mark Morrison, “Return of the Mack.”
“I love ’80s, ’90s hip-hop,” Looze said. “On the night of the 200 breaststroke, he goes, ‘Do you mind playing the song?’ So I played it, and we’ve been playing it all week long.”
It’s easy to see why.
Matheny cruised to a second-place finish at the Phillips 66 National Championships Wednesday evening in the 200-meter breaststroke — and followed that performance by again finishing second in the 100-meter breaststroke Friday — to qualify for the United States National Team and compete at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, in both events later this month.
“Some of the other kids went, ‘Will you play that song, too?’” Looze said. “It’s like a lucky charm for him, a secret weapon. His secret weapons are different than anyone else’s. He’s his own dude.”
Matheny swam the 200-meter breaststroke in 2:08.32 to break an Indiana record previously held by Cody Miller. He then swam the 100-meter breaststroke in 59.20, leapfrogging his previous personal best time in the event of 59.44.
A former three-time WPIAL and four-time PIAA champion in the 100-yard breaststroke, Matheny finished behind U.S. National Team swimmer Matt Fallon in the 200-meter breaststroke in Indianapolis last week. He finished just behind the pace of former U.S. Olympian Nic Fink in the 100-meter breaststroke.
“Just a dream come true,” said Matheny, who won the 100-meter breaststroke at the Phillips 66 National Championships as a freshman at Indiana in 2022. “Growing up in the United States, it’s always the age group swimmer’s dream to be able to represent the United States on an international stage.”
Matheny will be joined on the U.S. National Team by Indiana teammate Lilly King, who won gold medals in the 100-meter breaststroke and as a member of the 400-meter medley relay team at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She swept the women’s breaststroke events at the national championships last week.
“Being in the United States, it’s very difficult to make the international team,” said Matheny, who is a former member of Pittsburgh Elite Aquatics club team. “To make it at 20 is a blessing.”
A former junior national and world champion, Matheny finished fifth in the 100-meter breaststroke at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb. As a freshman at Indiana in 2022, he took second place in the NCAA championships as a member of the 400-meter medley relay team.
Matheny was also a medalist in four of the five events he swam at the Big Ten championships in 2022.
As a sophomore, Matheny was named a first-team All-American following the NCAA championship in the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke events, as well as with the Hoosiers 400-meter medley relay team. He also helped the Indiana men’s swimming team win its second consecutive Big Ten title this past season.
That Matheny has had such success early has come as no surprise, Looze said.
“Josh was a very successful swimmer in high school, a junior world champion,” said the coach now in his 20th season leading Indiana’s men’s swimming team, who has also served as an assistant coach of the U.S. Olympic team. “This is what he came to Indiana to do, but that’s easier said than done because this is the United States of America, and nothing is ever guaranteed, in swimming especially.
“This is a sport that wins 35% of all U.S. [Olympic] medals,” Looze added. “It’s just so highly competitive just to get out of trials. I’m just proud of Josh for handling this so beautifully. I’ll give him a lot of credit, and he’s got great teammates who really take care of him.”
Looze said Matheny has particularly impressed him with his competitive nature and his ability to train well consistently. He added that being a positive force of nature for his teammates has helped keep things loose throughout his two seasons at Indiana.
“I’m most proud of him not for necessarily this meet, but just how he’s matured and how he goes about his business on a daily basis,” Looze said. “Championship meets are just a product of how you practice, and Josh has practiced to be a champion. He practices to represent his country, and now we are seeing that here.”
Matheny said he is scheduled to fly to Singapore Saturday with the U.S. National Team to begin preparing for the World Championships, which will be held July 14-30 in Fukuoka.
“It will completely be a new experience,” Matheny said. “I have never been to Asia. Honestly, I’m still in the phase of disbelief. It hasn’t set in just how cool of an opportunity this is.
“I just want to get out there and do my best, obviously, and represent the United States the best that I can.”
Other national swimmers
Mt. Lebanon native Leah Smith, an Oakland Catholic and University of Virginia graduate, finished third in the women’s 400-meter freestyle, sixth in the 200-meter freestyle and fourth in the 800-meter freestyle. She swam the 400 freestyle in 4:03.85, the 200 freestyle in 1:56.91 and the 800 freestyle in 8:21.88.
Smith, a two-time U.S. national and four-time NCAA champion, won a gold and bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Virginia sophomore Zoe Skirboll, a Fox Chapel native, finished in 15th place with a time of 1:09.62 in the 100-meter breaststroke.
John is a copy editor and page designer at the Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at jsanta@unionprogress.com.