Losing out on last year’s NCAA championships was tough on every team, but for Ryan Hoffer and Cal, it was a lost chance at a repeat title.
Cal enters this year’s championships as the reigning champion, though that was back in 2019.
The Golden Bears are looking forward to renewing their rivalry with the Texas Longhorns, who had one four consecutive NCAA titles before Cal broke the streak two years ago.
The much-anticipated showdown between the two teams was postponed for an entire year.
“We were all pretty upset about NCAAs not happening last year,” Ryan Hoffer told Swimming World. “Transitioning, it was hard to get back in the rhythm but we still had some fire about not being able to show our stuff.”
Now, this week, the teams will be able to finally show their stuff.
For Hoffer, now a senior, it is as much mental as it is physical.
“I feel like we had a national championship mentality and we have been carrying that all the way through my senior year. Nothing has changed in that regard,” Hoffer said. “It shows itself early on. We got a taste of it sophomore year. We saw how to go about our ways to reach our goals. Now as a senior, I look back to the seniors when I was younger and following in that example, seeing their focus day in and day out.
Ryan Hoffer. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
“Getting over the training hump and into the rhythm was super important. It is a constant thought process and rhythm. It is keeping ourselves in tune for what we want to accomplish.”
And for Hoffer, who won the 50-yard freestyle as a sophomore and was All-American in the 100 free and 100 butterfly, that accomplishment would be a title.
Standing in their way, of course, are the Longhorns.
The Cal-Texas rivalry is unique. The teams are not in the same state or the same conference. They have elite coaches and teams that only face off with a national title on the line.
“That rivalry is special. Without Texas, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Without them we wouldn’t have aimed as high as we are today. That is what makes the NCAA competition so much fun. Without that drive, I wouldn’t haven’t won the 50 free my sophomore year and done as well as I had. I have been driving to beat these guys and they really bring me to that next level. Having those elite swimmers to face is definitely what has made me a new drive and new purpose,” Hoffer said. “I am grateful to be able to compete against a team such as Texas. They are a constant threat and I would like to think that we have been a consistent threat, too. We are the reigning national champions. I would have liked to think that we would have done the same last year, but of course, we’ll never know.”
After the NCAA championships was canceled last year, Hoffer tried to shake it off and start preparing for his senior season.
“Swimming is something that I love. Getting back into hard training and student-athlete dynamic wasn’t hard because it was something I really wanted to do. I was just excited to be able to race,” Hoffer said. “Getting up to race was a big deal. Having those couple of dual meets really got us fired up and into the mentality to racing and brought back that fire.”
Hoffer has been fine-tuning his technique since arriving at Cal.
Ryan Hoffer. Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
“It has been a process with my stroke technique. Coming into college I was a very underwater developed guy, so I had good underwater but I started working on my top of the water speed. It has been focusing on my catch and my kick — my freestyle kick not my dolphin kick,” he said. “That catch is my largest emphasis. Getting used to that took some time. I had a habit of dropping my elbows too much. I am continuing to have that 90-degree angle and keep that elbow up.”
It is that attention to detail that Hoffer is experiencing in the pool and the class room at Cal. With a public health major, the COVID-19 pandemic has been even more eye-opening.
“It has been pretty interesting. My classes have definitely changed and focused on the pandemic. Being able to learn in the public health realm has been good. I understand more why we are doing the things we are doing because of it. There is a lot of understanding that comes with that,” Hoffer said. “Learning about different trends and how this is affecting us is really interesting to me. I am glad to be in this major.”
And of course, so glad to be part of the Cal program.
The seniors are hoping to leave a legacy that keeps the Bears tradition moving in the right direction.
“I am really proud of our senior class. We have been through a lot in four years,” Ryan Hoffer said. “The legacy that we want to leave behind is that championship mentality. That is holding our teammates to a higher standard. We made an impact as a senior class on how things are going to be moving forward.”
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