Male Athlete of the Week

Name: Adam Plutecki Sport: Swimming Major: Economics Favorite… Name: Adam Plutecki Sport: Swimming Major: Economics Favorite movie: “Blow” Favorite band/artist: Anything Favorite food: Pierogies Favorite sport besides swimming: Soccer Favorite Oakland spot: Home

When Adam Plutecki began basic skills of swimming classes in third grade in his homeland of Poland, he had no idea that it would some day lead him to the United States.

After a year of weekly two-hour practices, a final event was placed where the young students could display what they had learned. It was there that a coach noticed Plutecki’s skills and asked him to join a club swimming team.

In high school, he went on to win several medals in the Polish junior championships, while competing for the 2005 Polish national team.

As his high school years neared to an end, Plutecki set his goals on crossing the Atlantic and going to college in the United States.

“I was young when I found out that a girl I knew, who was at the end of high school, was going to the U.S. for college,” he said. “It became a goal of mine.”

Plutecki started writing to several schools in the United States and before long, Pitt swimming coach Chuck Knoles wrote back.

“I talked to another Polish swimmer at Pitt about coming here,” Plutecki said. “I liked it, so I came here.”

He had to sit out his first year, since he took a year and a half off between high school and college, but in his second year, Plutecki established himself as an ace in the pool.

Last weekend, Plutecki set a War Memorial Pool record at Virginia Tech in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 55:49. He was also named one of the performers of the meet by Knoles in the team’s meet against Virginia on Sunday. He placed first in the 200 individual medley and helped win the 200 free relay.

But despite his achievements, Plutecki remains quiet on the team.

“I’m not the captain of the group,” he said. “I’m not any kind of leader. My goal pretty much is to win as many events as I can. The only example other people can take from me is in the water.”

Citing his strongest event as the 100 breaststroke, he set his goals for the coming years on qualifying for the NCAA championship. But beyond graduation, he isn’t sure where he’ll end up.

“I thought about this before I came here,” he said. “But right now, I don’t know yet. The coach for my club back home said that I could come back there. But I don’t know really. I’ll probably think about it after graduation.”