Following double medal at State, Tolman qualifies for Olympic Trials

Scott Tolman’s conquest didn’t stop with the CIF State Swimming and Diving Championships on Saturday in Clovis.

That was just the beginning for the two-time medalist.

The Sierra High senior used State as a springboard for an even greater accomplishment on Sunday – an Olympic Trials berth.

“What happened Sunday with Scott making Trials was the cherry on top of an incredible two weeks of swimming,” said Erik Zador, his coach with Ripon Aquatics. “The Trials cut represents a dream goal Scott set forth in his younger swim career.”

First, a bit of context: Tolman became the first swimmer in the Stanislaus District to earn a state medal, remarkably finishing with two in the fast waters at the Clovis Olympic Swim Center.

The reigning All-District Swimmer of the Year placed second in the 100-yard breaststroke, pushing Stanford-bound and two-time champion Aaron Poppe throughout, and then touched the wall fourth in the 200 individual medley.

He shaved a combined 1 minute, 15 seconds off his qualifying times at the Sac-Joaquin Section meet one week earlier.

Capitalizing on that momentum, Tolman went even faster on Sunday at the Fresno State Long Course Time Trial Meet, announcing his presence on a national level.

Tolman, 17, qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 200-meter breaststroke with a 2:17.71. The trials cut is set at 2:18.39.

After close calls at the Mt. Hood Futures Championship (2:18.45) last summer and the Davis Post High School Meet (2:18.46) last week, Tolman had finally punched his ticket.

“It was overwhelming, for sure, but also mostly a feeling of relief,” Tolman said. “I finally achieved my biggest goal. I was dying to get under.”

The Olympic Trials are June 26-July 3 in Omaha, Neb. The preliminaries and semifinal heats for the 200 breaststroke are scheduled for Wednesday, June 29. The final is June 30.

In 2012, Scott Weltz was the Trials champion in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:09.01. Weltz finished fifth at the London Games, nearly two seconds behind gold medalist Daniel Gyurta of Hungary.

Though he’s a long shot to even make the semifinal and final heats, Tolman now belongs in that elite class. He admits, though, he’ll be more wide-eyed fan than competitor.

“No expectations at all, just all for the experience,” he said. “Nothing to worry about. Just take in the experience and have a blast. Not expecting best times, either.”

Bound for Cal Baptist in the fall, along with Ripon Aquatics teammate and state qualifier Christian Britton of Gregori High, Tolman has made the Olympic Trials his years-long pursuit.

His swimming career began with an Olympic moment. More specifically, Michael Phelps’ Olympic moment.

Watching Phelps’ medal haul at the Summer Games in Beijing – he won a record eight gold medals – Tolman put himself on that path, walking away from other interests and hobbies to take up swimming.

“When I was a kid watching the Beijing Olympics, I watched Phelps make history,” he said. “I wanted to get that same feeling, as well. I never even knew how to swim before I watched. So getting that time (Sunday) meant childhood dreams coming true.”

Tolman is coached by Zador, a four-time section champion in the mid-1990s, and longtime Sierra coach David Breitenbucher.

“He stays focused on what he needs to do and he’s very talented,” Breitenbucher said. “Once we got him into year-round, he took off. By the time he was a sophomore, you knew something was going on. He continues to get better.”

Tolman owns multiple school records and is one of only three Timberwolf athletes to win a state medal in an individual sport.

The other two, David Ulibarri and Corey Duquette, were cross country runners. Tolman’s feat also follows the football team’s run to a historic CIF State Bowl victory.

“I’m just in shock. Just go down the list. Obviously, he’s the first swimmer in school history to medal, and just the third individual. But to my knowledge, I’m pretty sure he’s the first double medal winner at State,” Sierra athletic director Anthony Chapman said. “For him to come back and do what he did on Sunday, I’m floored. I couldn’t be more happy for him, his family and his coaches.”

This story was originally published May 23, 2016 at 11:52 AM with the headline "Following double medal at State, Tolman qualifies for Olympic Trials."