WILMINGTON, Ohio - A familiar face has joined the Wilmington College men's & women's swimming teams as George Rickett joined the programs as an assistant coach in January.
"George had a tremendous athletic career at Wilmington College as a member of the swim team, track & field team and a national qualifying cross country runner," Head Coach Trip Breen said. "I am thrilled that he continues to be part of the Wilmington campus community serving as an assistant coach for the swimming program."
Rickett was a four-year member of the men's cross country and track & field programs. As a cross country runner, he garnered First Team All-Ohio Athletic Conference and All-Region honors as a senior. With his 15th-place finish at the Great Lakes Regional Meet, Rickett qualified for the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, becoming just the third Quaker to do so in the NCAA era (1990-present). Rickett concluded his cross country career by running at the national meet in Lansing, Michigan, in November of 2022. He also earned Academic All-American recognition for his prowess on the course and in the classroom in 2021.
As a track & field student-athlete, Rickett competed in distance events and is the school record holder in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9:26.92. He was part of team that finished a program-best third place at the OAC Outdoor Championships in 2022 and earned Academic All-OAC honors twice in both sports.
Rickett aided Head Cross Country and Track & Field Coach Ron Combs in recruiting efforts including, but not limited to: calling high school recruits, soliciting information from prospective student-athletes to the WC office of admission and traveling to high school meets. He also worked with Paula Stewart in the QRC and shadowed her through the swimming team's dry land program.
A 2022 December graduate, Rickett earned a degree in exercise science with a concentration in sports performance and a minor in coaching. A member of the WC swimming team his freshman season, Rickett is a native of Vinton and a graduate of River Valley High School, where he was a member of the swimming team.
