Ricardo Vargas is a competitive swimmer who represents Mexico internationally. Vargas is a Pan American bronze medalist and 2016 Olympian.
College (Michigan)
2017-2018
Vargas was an immediate impact freshman for the Blue. At the 2018 Big Ten Champs, he finished 2nd in the 500 freestyle (4:11.11) and in the 1,650 (14:40.30) and 3rd in the 400 IM (3:43.73).
Qualifying for the NCAA’s, Vargas swam the same 3 events. He finished 7th in the 1,650 (14:40.27), 8th in 500 (4:17.23) and 29th in the 400 IM (3:45.64).
2018-2019
Vargas continued to be a huge point scorer at both the conference and national level in his sophomore campaign. At Big Tens, he finished 2nd in the 500 (4:11.72) and 400 IM (3:40.24), and 3rd in the 1,650 (14:31.76), going lifetime bests in the latter two events.
At NCAA’s, he finished 4th in 500 (4:12.21), 10th in 400 IM (3:42.32) and 22nd in 1,650 (14:51.71).
2019-2020
At the Big 10 Champs his Junior year, Vargas finished 3rd in the 500 free (4:11.80), 2nd in the 400 IM (3:42.68), and 2nd in the mile (14:39.48).
National/International Competition
2016 Summer Olympics (Rio de Janiero, Brazil)
Vargas swam the 1500 free at the Summer Olympics, finishing 25th in a Mexican national record time of 15:11.53.
2019 Pan American Games (Lima, Peru)
In Lima, Vargas earned his first major international medals, touching for bronze in both the 800 free (7:56.78) and 1500 free (15:14.99).
2019 Swammy Awards
After his double-bronze medal haul from the Pan American Games, Vargas earned the CAC Male Swimmer of the Year Swammy Award.
