EL’s Phillips chooses Rider University

BY JOBY FAWCETT

Times-Shamrock Writer

When Adam Phillips first started swimming at 6 years old, he never imagined where the sport would eventually take him.

In the fall, theElkLakesenior’s abilities will land him atRiderUniversityinLawrencevilleN.J., where he will be a part of an NCAA Division I program.

“At Rider, I think that I will be used on the swim team as early as my freshman year,” Phillips said. “That really made my decision easier. I liked that it’s a bigger school, but still has a small campus. Everything is close by.”

He began swimming 12 years ago for the Tiger-Sharks, an age-group swim team based in Tunkhannock.

During his high school career, Phillips became the dominant boy swimmer in the Wyoming Valley Conference Northern Division. He is the two-time Times-Tribune Male Swimmer of the Year.

At the District 2 level, Phillips won four gold medals in the last two seasons and established a meet record at the Lackawanna County Championships as a senior in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 1 minute, 59.62 seconds.

In his junior year, when he first started being recruited by college swimming programs, he earned a pair of PIAA Class AA medals. Phillips placed seventh in both the 200 IM in 2:00.21 seconds and the 100 breaststroke in 1:00.61.

In his senior year, Phillips won a silver in the 100 breaststroke in 58.04 and a fifth in the 200 IM at 1:57.75 at the state meet.

He also consideredSouth CarolinaandPennStatebefore choosing Rider.

“It was tough,” said Phillips, who plans to study marine science. “It was stressful all season not knowing where you will be going, so it was a relief once I figured it out.”