Boulder City High swimmer challenges Michael Phelps during California meet

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.

Zane Grothe remembers checking the lane assignments hours before swimming in the 500-freestyle finals Saturday at the Southern California Swimming Grand Prix in Long Beach, Calif.

Grothe, a senior at Boulder City High, spotted his name on the list in lane No. 6. Then, another name immediately popped out — Michael Phelps was assigned to lane No. 4.

Phelps, who won eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, is widely considered the sport's top performer.

"I thought, 'Great, there is one lane separating me from the greatest swimmer ever,'" Grothe, 17, said. "It was pretty cool being next to a piece of history."

Phelps won the race in 4 minutes, 18.70 seconds, while a charging Grothe made up ground late in taking third at 4:24.51. His charge almost led to a second-place finish, but Dominik Meichtry, who swam for Switzerland in Beijing, hung on at 4:24.22.

Still, the race was something to remember for the local teenager.

"It was really cool," he said. "It definitely motivated me. Your adrenaline absolutely starts pumping when you know that is who you are swimming against."

Grothe, who swims for the Boulder City-Henderson Heatwave club team, was invited to the event based on his times at qualifying meets throughout the year. The Grand Prix series involves eight races, with the next event scheduled for Feb. 12 at the University of Missouri.

Grothe's family and friends snapped plenty of photos to document the occasion. For a swimming diehard like Grothe, the image of sharing the podium with Phelps during the medal ceremony is something dreams are made of.

"Swimming against Michael is quite an experience for a 17-year-old," said Terry Grothe, Zane's mother. "It was real exciting watching them lined up together (to get their medals). They waved together and Michael shook Zane's hand."

Racing against Phelps wasn't the lone highlight of Grothe's weekend.

He won the 1,650 freestyle, or mile, Monday in 15:11.89 and placed third in the 1,000 freestyle in 9:04.32, less than three seconds behind 27-year-old Robert Margalis, who won a gold medal in the 2003 Pan-American Games.

Grothe, who will swim next fall at perennial college power Auburn, is one of the best teenage long-distance swimmers in the nation. He participated last year in a national-team camp hosted by USA Swimming and has won numerous prominent national races over the years. Nothing, however, has equaled the hype of competing against Phelps.

"He has a good natural feel for the water," Heatwave coach Mike Polk said. "He also has a natural aerobic capacity. He doesn't get tired too fast."

Competing, and thriving, alongside the sport's elite is nothing new for Grothe. In the same meet last year, he took third in the 1,000 freestyle while Erik Vendt broke an American record in winning the race. Vendt won silver medals in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics.

"Just getting to race against those guys blows my mind," Grothe said.

The three-day meet featured several swimmers who were former Olympians or top collegiate performers. Most were aged in their 20s.

But that didn't phase the 150-pound Grothe, whose training program won't include weight training until next fall when he joins the team at Auburn.

"The length of the pool is still the same in your lane no matter who is next to you," Polk said. "It takes a lot of experience to not be physically blown away at the beginning of the race."

It's too early to calculate if Grothe will be in contention for a spot on the 2012 Olympic team. That all depends on his progression at Auburn and how his body develops.

"It's very possible, but there are so many factors," Grothe said of the Olympics. "It all depends on my physical build and how fast I mature with putting on muscles."

Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or [email protected].