Justin Ress, ranked top swimming recruit in NC, cheers for his teammates
Cary High swimmer Justin Ress is among the state’s best high school swimmers, but he doesn’t put himself apart from his high school teammates.
Ress won the N.C. High School Athletic Association 4A 500-yard freestyle in 2014, and he is undefeated this year in the 500 free and 200 individual medley. He also swims a leg on the Imps’ undefeated 200 and 400 free relays.
He also has qualified for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 200 backstroke and the 200 and 400 individual medleys and he recently committed to N.C. State. He is ranked among the top swimming recruits in the country.
“I think swimming is just as much a team sport as football or basketball,” Ress said. “It’s a really hard sport, and if you don’t have the support of your teammates it’s not fun at all. Helping my teammates is the least I can do. A big part of swimming is cheering for your teammates.”
He could only cheer early in the season when he missed a big meet earlier this year against state power Green Hope because of a sprained ankle.
“He supported his teammates,” said Cary coach Laura Goodwin, “but at the same time he was frothing at the mouth to get in the water.”
He has been in the water for much of his life. His mother, then Maya Codelli, swam at N.C. State in the mid-1980s.
Ress started year-round swimming early and has trained with the Marlins of Raleigh since he was 7 years old.
Godwin has been impressed with Ress’ work ethic and the leadership.
“He’s always on time for practice, and he gets in the water and helps the other kids with suggestions,” Goodwin said. “He’s not above it all. He’ll ask them, ‘Have you tried this?’ ”
The website Collegeswiming.com rated Ress as the top recruit in the state. His mother has ties to N.C. State, of course, but Ress made his own college decision.
“I want to study engineering, and they have a great engineering school,” Ress said. “In the last four years, their coach (Braden Holloway) has built the program from the bottom of the ACC to the top. My mom and dad would have been supportive whatever school I picked.”
Rees says his focus this year is winning two state individual titles and helping the 400 relay team top last year’s fourth-place state finish. He was the anchor along with three others who returned this year, junior Will Atkinson, senior Chase Millar and senior Tosh Kawaguchi.
“High school swimming is great,” Ress said of representing the Imps. “I love to be in the water competing. When you’re swimming, it’s a great feeling of freedom.”
This story was originally published January 12, 2015 at 11:09 PM with the headline "Justin Ress, ranked top swimming recruit in NC, cheers for his teammates."