University of Wisconsin swimmer and Big Ten Champion in the 200-yard butterfly, senior Scott Rice, is a man of few words.

A Des Moines, Wash., native, Rice is not known to be a vocal leader but one who leads by example. Even in his freshman year, Rice was named Big Ten player of the week and finished in the top 20 in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard butterfly at the 2007 Big Ten Championships. Since then, he has been considered a core part of the team.

“He’s got a great personality, and the team and staff loves him,” head coach Eric Hansen said. “He’s just a man of few words, and that’s fine. I really respect that.”

When asked about his achievement, winning the Big Ten individual championship in the 200 butterfly, his quiet personality prevails.

“It feels pretty good,” Rice said.

This is coming from a man who was Washington Swimmer of the Year in high school, competed strongly all through college, worked tirelessly for years in pools around the country and was even invited to the Olympic Qualifiers just last year.

Rice lives up to his reputation, and anyone who doubts this just needs to spend five minutes with the guy. But, when it comes to the big races, Rice treats them equally.

“I don’t always get too excited a week or two beforehand — I usually get excited an hour before the race,” Rice said. “That’s just me. I take it as it comes.”

This attitude and focus is exemplified in the training he puts in, Hansen said.

“You don’t need to get ready when you’ve done it everyday,” Hansen said. “It’s all there. You gain confidence through training and he’s trained the right way. He’s been a man possessed all year and been very consistent and very diligent in terms of his work ethic and every day. Day in and day out, he’s been great.”

Rice just put his time in, and it paid off in a big way.

“I don’t really know … I just swam, and just kind of reinforced everything I’ve already been working on: good turns and walls and finishing the race strong,” Rice said.

“When I started off, my best time was a 1:45, and I went 1:42 at the Texas Invitational, and from then on, I thought I had a chance at winning the Big Tens and a shot in the NCAAs,” Rice said, showing a hint of self-awareness.

In terms of his ability, Rice and Hansen both agree his technique puts him over the top.

“Good technique, really good technique,” Rice said. “I’m 5-foot-10, and I don’t think I’d be able to compete if I didn’t have good technique.”

“Have you seen his legs?” Hansen said. “The guy’s a bullet underwater. He’s as good as they come underwater. And that’s important for swimming nowadays, to be a great kicker, and a great kicker he is.”

Even in all of his success and keeping to himself, he thanks his teammates for his success.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my teammates,” Rice said. “We have a lot of camaraderie and just their cheering, and cheering for them is a lot of fun, and I hope more people make it to NCAAs so we will have that aspect there because it really helps.”

Rice is keeping to the same formula that got him there, just allowing everything to come to him, and compete in the focused, endlessly rehearsed technique he’s used to propel him to the top.

“I don’t usually get too excited off the bat; I’m just going to have fun with it,” Rice said. “I’m going to focus on it like any other race: get in there and try to beat ’em.”