Time to Shine
December 22, 2004 09:43 PM | General
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| Pinto |
Just five years ago, West Virginia University seemed farther away from senior swimmer Pedro Pinto than his hometown of Recife-PE, Brazil.
That was because Pinto simply had never heard of the university or had any desire to come here. Pinto had finished high school and come to the United States as a foreign exchange student simply to take a couple of English classes at a community college in Roanoke, Va., to better learn the language.
A funny thing happened on the way to learning English. “Since I was a swimmer in Brazil I decided it would be a good way to make some more friends that way,” says Pinto. Pinto joined the Roanoke Gators swim club and quickly flourished. After just a couple of meets Pinto says he was already getting calls from perennial swimming powerhouses Pitt and Virginia Tech.
Going to a school that would compete for a conference championship is a plus for any recruit, however, neither school had any scholarship money left because he was found so late in the recruiting process.
Then came a school north of Blacksburg and just a little south of Pittsburgh - WVU. Former West Virginia and current Alabama swim coach Eric McIlquham stepped in with money to offer the Brazilian and Pinto decided to make a visit to Morgantown.
“I had friends at Virginia Tech so I had been there before but when I came on a visit to Morgantown I was so surprised at how much better it is here,” says Pinto. “I said that this was the place for me to be.”
Pinto loved the small-town atmosphere and the friendly environment. He also fell in love with the Appalachian area.
“I love the mountains,” says Pinto.
The mountains have proved to be a perfect fit for Pinto as he has thrived in Morgantown. Right out of the blocks in 2001, he tore through WVU and opponent record books, breaking a 12-year old St. Bonaventure pool record in the 100 fly (50.52) and the WVU Natatorium record in the 200 IM (1:53.75) against Virginia Tech. Pinto put his name in the top 10 at WVU in the 100 and 200 fly and the 200 IM, as well as qualifying for the BIG EAST championships in two events. He ended the season second on the team in individual victories with 10.
Pinto continued his dominance in 2002 as a sophomore winning 11 races. He broke Connecticut’s pool record in the 200 fly in a time of 1:52.00. Pinto also chipped in on the 200 IM and 200 free relays that broke school records at the BIG EAST championship.
As a junior Pinto once again proved to be one of the conference’s best in the fly, however he still couldn’t take first in his signature event, the 100 fly, at the BIG EAST championships. For the second year in a row he fell just short of beating UConn’s Dustin Rogers. With Rogers graduating last May, Pinto believes this is his year to shine.
“This year I am definitely going to win,” says Pinto.
New head coach Sergio Lopez says that Pinto’s goals are not unrealistic.
“He is a confident swimmer,” says Lopez. “He is a swimmer who should have been to the NCAAs before this year and I hope I can help him accomplish that this year.” Pinto says that Lopez is definitely going to help him reach his goal of making the NCAAs.
“I had some pretty good coaches here before but (Lopez) is just amazing,” says Pinto. “I don’t know how to explain what I have learned from Sergio but I just know that I am going to swim faster this year.”
One thing that Pinto hasn’t had the luxury of having through his career at WVU is the presence of his family at meets. Being a continent away in South America, his parents Alfredo and Miriam, have only been able to make one trip to the U.S. and that was two summers ago.
However, Pinto says that he has learned to cope with the lack of contact.
“It’s tough because I miss them but I talk to them on the Internet every day,” says Pinto. “They miss me but they know that I am doing the right thing here and getting a good education.”
While Pinto plans on attending graduate school in the U.S., he says that there is one thing that could bring him home quickly. The Brazilian swimming championships take place in May and Pinto plans to compete for a spot on his country’s national team.
“If I could make it that would be awesome,” says Pinto. “I obviously want to keep swimming but I know I have to move on at some point.”
The international studies major says that if he attends graduate school he would like to get his master’s in business and work with international trade between the U.S. and South America. And if Pinto’s business career turns out anything like his swimming career, he will have a quick rise to the top.
Scott Castleman is a student assistant in the WVU sports communications office.
