ASU Swim/Dive: Sophomore Grant House named to World University Games roster

Sophomore Grant House is no stranger to international competition. In 2015, he represented team USA in the 2015 FINA World Junior Championships in Singapore. This summer, he’ll have another shot in the international spotlight.

House swam a 1:46.95 200 meter freestyle at National Championships this summer, the 24th fastest time in the world for the event this year. USA Swimming noticed. This past Thursday, the organization announced the roster for the World University Games in Naples, Italy next summer to swim in the 800 meter freestyle relay (4x200).

Friend and teammate sophomore Carter Swift praised House as a model for the team, “His intensity is always sky-high... his eating is right, his everything is right, he’s what we all aspire to be. He’s the pinnacle of athlete performance right now.”

But this isn’t all about House. The selection serves as encouragement to the entire team:

“His attitude is what drives not only him, but all of us. He has an energy that brings everyone up around him,” Swift said. “It gives us all a lot of hope that the process it working with [Coach] Bob [Bowman].”

House’s dedication to the team is obvious when talking with him:

“I think ASU deserves to be on the map, up competing with any elite team, college, club that there is in the country,” House said. “For the time being it’s kind of under the radar to a lot of people.“

In his mind, this is just a way to show the country, and the world what Sun Devil swimming is all about. As the sole representative from ASU on a World University Games roster dominated by swimmers from Texas, Cal, and NC State, House remains firm that ASU deserves recognition.

“I’ll argue and fight for these guys and girls that they can be up there with anyone. That’s why I came here,” House said. “I wanted to be a puzzle piece in a part of the building process... With the guys we have here on the freshman, sophomore, junior level, we can accomplish that. It’s just the start of much, much, more to come.”

More to come. In his words:

“This is just a reward along the way to the process and the ultimate goal.”

For now, the closest goal is Friday, the 26th in Tallahassee, as the Men and Women will face Florida State in a dual meet.