Scott Tripps (Inducted 2015)
Scott taught himself to swim at age 5. He started on a swim team at age 7, in Oklahoma. During age-group swimming, especially at those all-day long meets, Scott was not the kind of kid sitting around waiting for his heat. No, he would be off somewhere, showing up at the last minute. And it was not just down the hall. He would be in the creek clear off the campus, or chucking water balloons across the football field with a balloon launcher. He was having fun and thinks of himself back then as a “goof-ball”.
We could spend a long time talking about his successful age-group, high school and college swimming; using words like “High School State Champion” - swimming in Oregon and water polo in Washington. Or we could use words like “Junior National Champion”, “NCAA Division 1 All- American” at the University of Minnesota, twice “Olympic Trials Qualifier”. But these were all before his “career” as a Minnesota LMSC Masters swimmer, coach and event coordinator. He has been participating in Minnesota Masters for 22 years now.
After college, surprisingly so, Scott still wanted to keep swimming, but more importantly. he also wanted to stay connected to the swimming world. In 1993 he started a small group so he wouldn’t have to swim alone and so they could divvy up the cost. He coached from the water as he also swam. His philosophy, (still with us today), is “anyone can swim” and he would find a way to fit in whoever shows up. Eventually, the group got so big that he had to start coaching from the deck. Today, his Hopkins team now has 26 workouts a week, boasts 200 swimmers and about five different coaches. These swimmers of all levels compete in open water, pool and triathlons, but many are just fitness swimmers. The Hopkins team has won the state meet twice in the last three years.
Scott could be considered a part-time swimmer. He gets in now and then and competes now and then, but when he does he competes hard. He likes a good race. His part-time effort has earned him 51 USMS Top Ten placements and 3 individual All American titles.
Equally impressive are Scott’s accomplishments in the Relay area. If you ever talk with him about swimming, he is most excited about relays and thinks swimmers rise up for relays and do their best times. He loves finding some obscure relay and placing one of his Lane 1, slower swimmers, in there to win or even set a record. And he sets up odd relays like a husband and wife relay. At this year’s State meet (2015), there were 126 relays fielded. Hopkins Masters presented 55 of them for 9 new MN LMSC records. Scott’s personal participation in relays is quite impressive. He has more USMS Top Ten relay positions by far than anyone in our LMSC, with 22; one relay national record, one relay All-American and one FINA Top Ten Relay placement.
Although not an official Masters swimming event, this year (2015) Scott won the challenging Point to LaPoint 2 mile race in chilly Lake Superior. What he said about the race was “it was a day where everything worked!” He currently holds 18 MN LMSC records.
Scott really does not pay attention to his accomplishments. Besides relays, he is most excited by the success of others and how everyone cheers for the team at the meets. Scott also functions as an event coordinator and has setup numerous meet and open water events, including the open water half marathon series. Instead of a number of events that total 13.1 miles, this year they totaled 14.1 miles. This is because Scott would like you to “go the extra mile”.
Here is what some of Scott’s swimmers say about him. “He has a positive presence, inspires everyone around him, and he leads by example.”
We could spend a long time talking about his successful age-group, high school and college swimming; using words like “High School State Champion” - swimming in Oregon and water polo in Washington. Or we could use words like “Junior National Champion”, “NCAA Division 1 All- American” at the University of Minnesota, twice “Olympic Trials Qualifier”. But these were all before his “career” as a Minnesota LMSC Masters swimmer, coach and event coordinator. He has been participating in Minnesota Masters for 22 years now.
After college, surprisingly so, Scott still wanted to keep swimming, but more importantly. he also wanted to stay connected to the swimming world. In 1993 he started a small group so he wouldn’t have to swim alone and so they could divvy up the cost. He coached from the water as he also swam. His philosophy, (still with us today), is “anyone can swim” and he would find a way to fit in whoever shows up. Eventually, the group got so big that he had to start coaching from the deck. Today, his Hopkins team now has 26 workouts a week, boasts 200 swimmers and about five different coaches. These swimmers of all levels compete in open water, pool and triathlons, but many are just fitness swimmers. The Hopkins team has won the state meet twice in the last three years.
Scott could be considered a part-time swimmer. He gets in now and then and competes now and then, but when he does he competes hard. He likes a good race. His part-time effort has earned him 51 USMS Top Ten placements and 3 individual All American titles.
Equally impressive are Scott’s accomplishments in the Relay area. If you ever talk with him about swimming, he is most excited about relays and thinks swimmers rise up for relays and do their best times. He loves finding some obscure relay and placing one of his Lane 1, slower swimmers, in there to win or even set a record. And he sets up odd relays like a husband and wife relay. At this year’s State meet (2015), there were 126 relays fielded. Hopkins Masters presented 55 of them for 9 new MN LMSC records. Scott’s personal participation in relays is quite impressive. He has more USMS Top Ten relay positions by far than anyone in our LMSC, with 22; one relay national record, one relay All-American and one FINA Top Ten Relay placement.
Although not an official Masters swimming event, this year (2015) Scott won the challenging Point to LaPoint 2 mile race in chilly Lake Superior. What he said about the race was “it was a day where everything worked!” He currently holds 18 MN LMSC records.
Scott really does not pay attention to his accomplishments. Besides relays, he is most excited by the success of others and how everyone cheers for the team at the meets. Scott also functions as an event coordinator and has setup numerous meet and open water events, including the open water half marathon series. Instead of a number of events that total 13.1 miles, this year they totaled 14.1 miles. This is because Scott would like you to “go the extra mile”.
Here is what some of Scott’s swimmers say about him. “He has a positive presence, inspires everyone around him, and he leads by example.”
- “Scott is dedicated, attentive and really cares about each of the swimmers he coaches.”
- “Has eyes on the back of his head”
- “I'm a lane 1 swimmer... Scott gives me as much time and dedication as anyone else on the team.”
- “Great at coaching all levels of swimmers! Very encouraging to newbies! Keeps you moving!”
- “Coach Scott rocks!!”
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