USC swimmer wins at nationals
While most eyes were on the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, one local swimmer was turning heads in Minnesota.
Fynn Minuth of Upper St. Clair grabbed gold and silver medals during the U.S. Junior Nationals held in Minneapolis. He won the 400-meter freestyle in 3:53.61 and secured secong places in the 200 free in 1:50.92 and the 200 butterfly in 2:00.43. All were personal-best times.
An alumnus of the Upper St. Clair Swim Club and now the Pittsburgh Elite Aquatics club, Minuth trains under Dave Schraven at the outdoor pool in Scott Township and the indoor facility at his alma mater.
The University of South Carolina swimmer earned his first All-American honor in the 800 freestyle this spring (6:19.93) when he helped the Gamecocks place 15th at the NCAA championships. He earned a second swim in the 200 fly at the SEC championships, placing 20th with a 1:45.89 time. He also finished 29th in the 200 free (1:37.66) and 31st in the 200 IM (1:48.83). He earned nine top-five finishes across five different events. Also, Minuth earned CSCAA Scholar All-America honors.
While at Upper St. Clair, Minuth shattered seven school and seven pool records. He is a two-time state champion.
A native of Regnsburg in Bavaria, Germany, Minuth was a three-time runner-up at the German Age Group Nationals prior to coming to South Carolina. A German Age Group champion, he also was a member of SV Bayer Wuppertal Club team.
The son of Mark Torsten and Britta Minuth is majoring in international business. He has a younger brother, Ole, who swims at Upper St. Clair, and a sister, Neele.