Michael Richmond signs his letter of intent with Midland University while members of his family and his coaches gather for the occasion. Those at the signing were from left to right, Mike Richmond, Jason Richmond, Jan Richmond, GRHS coach Rick Barker, Richmond, USA coach Randy Walker, GRHS head coach Colleen Seiloff.
After 10 years of swimming for Green River, Michael Richmond will move onto the collegiate level.
On Friday, Richmond, who was surrounded by a table filled with medals and plaques he earned over the years, signed a letter of intent to swim during his time at Midland University, which is a four-year college in Nebraska.
"They just gave me the best offer out of the two colleges I visited," Richmond said.
The offer wasn't all that impressed him during a recent visit to Midland.
"I felt really at home with the Midland team," Richmond said. "It was a very welcoming team."
During Richmond's time at the college, he will swim on the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics level. Richmond said the NAIA is separate from the NCAA.
For Richmond, swimming is something he's always done.
"I've been swimming for the last 10 years," he said. "My parents just needed to put me in something."
He started out taking swimming lessons at the Green River Recreation Center and then he moved onto the USA Swim Club, under coach Randy Walker. He then made his way through middle school swim and wrapped up his Green River career by competing for the Green River High School swim team under head coach Colleen Seiloff.
He has earned 35 medals in high school swimming competitions alone. He also broke and still holds five school records, including 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly, 200-yard individual medley and 200-freestyle. He also shares another broken school record with the 200-yard medley relay team. He also received All-State recognitions three years in a row.
With all of these awards and recognitions, Richmond is looking forward to what the future may hold for him.
"I'm just looking forward to competing at the collegiate level," Richmond said. "It's been a goal of mine to swim at the collegiate level for as long as I can remember."
GRHS head coach Colleen Seiloff said she was really proud of Richmond and all of his accomplishments.
"His successes came from a lot of hard work," Seiloff said. "Midland's getting an amazing young gentlemen."
Seiloff said Richmond was one of those who trained 12 months out of the year and his work ethic is amazing.
"This is his reward for working so hard," Seiloff said. "He's dedicated himself to the sport of swimming."
Coach Walker said in club swimming they have four rules to follow: show up, do things correctly, honor teammates, the coach and oneself and compete. Richmond has done all of these four things consistently.
"He's the poster child for hard work," he said. "He's going to go far and do very well."
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