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Former UA swimmer and South African Olympian team member Ryk Neethling prepares for the Olympics in Athens on Aug. 3, 2004.

Men's swimming and diving: Ryk Neethling 

Position: Freestyle distance 

Years at UA: 1996-2000

Notable achievement: Neethling won nine NCAA titles — all individual — and was a seven-time Pac-10 champion. He won the Pac-10 Athlete of the Year award four years in a row, was the 1998-99 NCAA Swimmer of the Year and was a 17-time first-team All-American and finished in the top-5 at the NCAA championships 15 times. Neethling finished in the top-8 of every race he competed in during his college career. He holds the UA record for the 1,650-yard freestyle. He's also an Arizona Hall-of-Famer. 


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