Tri-State HS high school on cusp of qualifying for US Olympic Trials

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - A local high school swimmer is on the cusp of qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials after nearly missing his senior season due to injury.

Thackston McMullan, a senior at St. Xavier High School, tore his labrum last summer.

“There was a meet here, late June, we’re in the middle of 100-meter fly, it popped again and I couldn’t feel my shoulder anymore,” McMullan said. “There were times when I considered not even swimming this year.”

Committed to swimming at Cal, McMullan tried physical therapy but his recovery plateaued. He decided on surgery after discussing options with his family and Dr. Brian Grawe of UC Health.

“It can really plague these athletes and sometimes we worry that it could alter the trajectory of their career,” said Dr. Grawe. “Which is why at the outset we didn’t start with surgery. We’re not an aggressive group here at the University of Cincinnati. We want to make sure that we’re autonomously allowing the athlete to get back to where they need to be with mutual decision-making.”

Grawe is the director of the Division of Sports Medicine at UC Health. McMullan was already competing at a high level in high school and had committed to a top national college swimming program, Grawe said their ultimate goal was getting him back to full health.

“We needed to keep our eye on the prize to make sure not only could we meet his short-term goals with our treatment plan, but also his long-term goals of swimming collegiately at a top university,” Grawe said.

With his arm in a sling for a month and out of the water for two months, McMullan expected the recovery to full strength to take eight months, threatening to compromise his senior season at St. Xavier.

“The first meet that I swam, officially, after being cleared, it was the worst feeling 500 free of my life,” McMullan said. “I was 30 seconds off my lifetime best time and at that moment, I’m, like, ‘Can I be where I want to be?’”

Through physical therapy, work in the pool and time, McMullan recovered ahead of schedule. He lowered his times to his usual marks a few weeks ahead of the state meet and ultimately won two individual state titles and a team state championship.

“I don’t think people even expected me to swim at state with the surgery,” McMullan said. “So I kind of used that as motivation to get better as fast as I can without re-hurting myself.”

Grawe said: “We got him in with one of our best physical therapists here at the University of Cincinnati to make sure that every day when he went in to work that the ultimate goal of swimming again was kept ever present. You can really rely on the athlete’s work ethic, their desire and holding those medals above his head.”

Thackston finished his high school career with five individual state titles and three team state championships. He’s hopeful to hit the required times to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials this summer.

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