Swimming Olympic Games Recap

TOKYO – Three Penn State swimmers completed their competition schedules in Tokyo at the 2020 Olympic Games. Senior Gabe Castaño competed in the 50 Freestyle for Mexico. Melissa Rodriguez (2016 graduate) also swam for Mexico, competing in the 100 Breaststroke and 200 Breaststroke. Shane Ryan (2017 graduate) competed in the 100 Butterfly and 4x200 Freestyle Relay events for Ireland.
 
Gabe Castaño
Mexico, 50 Freestyle
 
Making his Olympic Games debut, Castaño raced in the 50 Freestyle, recording a time of 22.32. He finished 30th overall and fifth in his heat.
 
In late June, Castaño beat his own 50 freestyle Mexican national record by winning the event at the Swim Meet of Champions on June 28, earning a 22.06. He slashed .05 off his previous best, during a time trial, to achieve the FINA 'A' Standard automatic qualification time of 22.01. Castaño also swam the lead leg on Mexico's record-setting 4x100m freestyle relay at the Pan American Games in 2019.
 
The Nittany Lion ranks in the top five of two individual events at Penn State, second in the 50-yard freestyle and fourth on the 100-yard freestyle chart. He was a 2021 NCAA Championships participant as a member of Nittany Lions' record-setting 200 freestyle and 200 medley relay teams. He earned honorable-mention All-America status as part of the 200 freestyle relay and finished 26th in the individual 50 freestyle event.
 
Melissa Rodriguez
Mexico, 100 Breaststroke/200 Breaststroke
 
Rodriguez also competed in her first Olympic Games. She made her debut in the 100 Breaststroke, posting a time of 1:08.76 in the prelims to place 30th overall and sixth in her heat.
 
She also raced in the 200 Breaststroke, recording a time of 2:26.87 to finish 24th in the prelims and fourth in her heat.
 
The Mexican national record holder in the long-course 50, 100 and 200 breaststroke, Rodriguez competed in the NCAA Championships all four years of her career as a Nittany Lion and earned honorable-mention All-America honors.

Rodriguez set Penn State's 200 breaststroke record (2:07.80) with her 11th-place finish at the 2016 NCAA Championships, cutting nearly four seconds off the previous best mark. Her 100 breaststroke time is fourth all-time on the Nittany Lion list and she swam the breaststroke leg of the 400 medley relay team that held the program record from 2014-20.
 
Shane Ryan
Ireland, 100 Butterfly, 4x200 Freestyle Relay
 
Ryan began his second Olympic Games by competing in the 4x200 Freestyle Relay for Ireland, notching a split of 1:49.08 as the team finished with a 7:15.48, placing eighth in the heat and 14th overall. It was Ireland's first time competing in a men's relay event and first time competing in any relay event since 1979.
 
He also competed in the 100 Butterfly. In an extremely tight heat, Ryan earned a personal-best time of 52.52 to place 37th in the prelims. Ryan finished fourth in his heat, which had just .3 seconds separating first and fourth. He bettered his previous personal-best of 52.94. Ryan's time of 52.52 also set a new Ireland record, bettering Brendan Hyland's 52.58.
 
Ryan was set to compete in the 100 Backstroke event but was scratched due to injury.
 
The Havertown, Pennsylvania, native competed for Ireland, where his father originally hails from and Ryan gained residency. After reaching the semifinals in the 100 back at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, he won gold in the 50 back at the 2017 World University Games and earned bronze in the event at both the 2018 World Short Course Championships and 2018 European Long Course Championships.
 
During his time as a Nittany Lion, Ryan was a five-time gold medalist at the Big Ten Championships in the 100 back ('14, '15, '17) and the 100 free ('14, '17). He was named the 2014 Swimmer of the Big Ten Championships for his five podium finishes in the 50 free, 100 free, 100 back, 200 free relay and 400 free relay. Ryan also had two NCAA Championship podium finishes in his career after setting a school-record and winning silver in the 100 back ('14) and winning bronze a year later in the same event. He still holds the school record in six events (50 free, 100 free, 100 back, 200 & 400 medley relay and 400 free relay). 
 
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