Findlay, Ohio – Greatness. For those who follow University of Findlay athletics, there are many names that get associated with that word.
The latest? Tim Stollings.
When the Prichard, WV native began his collegiate swimming career in the fall of 2019, he had made a list of private goals for himself. His timeline? Earn a trip to the national championship meet as a freshman, make the final eight in an event by his junior year, and push for a national title as a senior.
Mission accomplished…and more.
Later this spring, Stollings will participate in one of Findlay's most storied traditions, walking out through the Griffith Memorial Arch towards Main Street on graduation day. He will leave campus as the most decorated athlete to wear the Orange and Black, something he likely never envisioned five years ago.
When asked what it is that has turned Tim into the swimmer that he is today, head coach Diego Santos simply said, "Dedication. He wants to be the best and that mentality allowed him to take a giant leap."
This kind of a career was not the expectation when Stollings came to Findlay out of high school, although right away, the coaches knew he would be a top notch talent.
"Tim reached out to us when he started the initial recruiting process", said former head coach Andrew Makepeace, who now coaches at D2 Augustana University in South Dakota. "It was a big recruiting class with lots of talent and Tim was at the top of that. Our small campus was a draw for him and we really hit it off and it was a great fit. My expectation for him was that he would be a difference maker and when he started racing, we knew we had something special."
28 Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) individual titles. Five G-MAC team titles. Four G-MAC Athlete of the Year and Swimmer of the Meet selections. G-MAC Scholar Athlete of the Year and two-time academic first team all-American. Two-time UF Athlete of the Year. 2023-24 Findlay Mancuso Award winner. 16 first team and 11 second team all-American awards. Eight current school records. Two individual national championships.
This barrage of awards and honors came as a result of a single mindset that, coincidentally, revolves around deemphasizing the importance of results.
"The biggest thing for me is knowing that I'm not defined by what I do in the pool", Stollings said on the Talkin' G-MAC podcast earlier this year. "I'm still me. I'm still Tim. To my friends, my family, my coaches, I'm still the same person that I am before the race starts. No matter what happens in the event, it doesn't change anything about me. My mindset is 'I don't have to do well, I want to do well.'"
On top of the individual successes, his efforts as a teammate and as a leader in the program have helped elevate the program as the men have finished inside the top-ten nationally in three straight seasons.
In an interview with PulseTV reporter and teammate, Andrea Hoffman, Stollings said, "You have to lead by example. There are days when swimming is really hard and, on those days, you have to be willing to put in effort. If you show that you are willing to work through adversity, (your teammates) will want to do that too."
And lead he did. Prior to Stollings' arrival, men's swimmers at Findlay had collected six NCAA all-American awards total and had just four podium finishes. How much did that change? Since his freshman year, the men have picked up 86 all-American awards including 46 first team honors.
Santos said about Tim's leadership, "(His teammates) see what he does and they see how successful he is, and that impacts them. Things like staying after practice to stretch more, coming multiple times a week to work on their underwaters, that has helped make everyone better."
The exclamation point to a historic career came this past March when Tim, alongside his teammate Camilo Marrugo, finished as the national champion and national runner-up, respectively, in the 100 butterfly at the NCAA DII championship in Geneva, Ohio. But when talking about that event, Stollings emphasizes how happy he was for his teammate, not for himself, and that attitude, according to Santos, is his lasting legacy.
"When you're a good athlete like him, it can get to your head. But that's not Tim. Everyone loves him because he's just a good person, he's humble, and he works his tail off. As a person, he's one of the best I've coached. His ability to be a good teammate and leader by example, that is where he has had an impact on everyone else and that is something we will miss."
What made him so special in the pool? Coach Makepeace says the difference takes place where it can't be seen, under the surface.
"What sets him apart is his underwater ability. He's honed his skills to become one of the best underwater swimmers, maybe in the world. He's not going to be the fastest on the top of the water, but under it, he's showtime. That along with his attitude and passion for success make him the greatest Findlay athlete that I've ever seen."
Greatness. That is what has taken place over the past five years. In the pool, in the classroom, and on campus, Tim has achieved it. He is one of the best to ever compete at Findlay in any sport. But his legacy isn't measured in medals and trophies, but in the wake of selflessness, leadership, and humility that he leaves behind.
