Ortmann not yet done at WHS

 

By ANDREW DREISCHARF
The Independent

 

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Woodstock High School senior Ryan Ortmann hadn’t competed in swimming in years until he picked up the sport again in the 11th grade.
“I swam for five years when I was little, but didn’t get back into it until junior year when Kenny (Puttman) and I were recruited by someone on the team,” said Ortmann.
Aside from being a star wide receiver in football and a member of the tennis team, the senior is one good swimmer as well. Recently, Ortmann just missed qualifying for state in the 50-yard freestyle by tenths of a second. Finishing thirteenth (the top 12 make it), and just missing a trip to state hasn’t fazed Ortmann.
“I knew I didn’t swim what I wanted to,” said Ortmann. “It was kind of a bummer. They told me I made it, but there were still others to go.”
Different sports, especially the three Ortmann plays, require different physical and mental skills.
“They are entirely different sports strength-wise,” said Ortmann. “They’re all so different. I gain weight during swimming, actually. Neither is easy, but swimming is hard.”
Ortmann looks forward to moving on from WHS in the next few months. He likes school, but sports have been the thing that has always interested him the most.
“If I didn’t have sports, I don’t know what I’d do,” said Ortmann.
Currently, Ortmann is undecided as to where he will continue his sporting career and education once he graduates from WHS in June. He likes Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis., but nothing is set in stone.
“I’ve looked at Carthage, and I really like it,” said Ortmann. “I am leaning towards football. It would be hard to do both (football and swimming).”
As much as Ortmann would like to continue all his sports at the next level, he knows it’s nearly impossible to do so. In the day of specialization in sports past the high school level, two-sport collegiate athletes are a rarity and three-sport athletes are almost unheard of. It just doesn’t happen when coaches want their players to focus on one sport.
“It’s tough having to pick,” said Ortmann.
Playing multiple sports has helped Ortmann a lot, though. He equates football to swimming because of the stopping and going. Everything is a play. It’s over almost as soon as it has begun.
“It’s helped a lot. For my position in football and then with swimming, you go as hard as you can for a play or a race, then you have a break,” said Ortmann.
One thing is clear: Ortmann loves all his sports and loves the differences of each.
“I love all three so much,” said Ortmann. “I like tennis the best, actually.”
Ortmann can’t wait for the tennis season to begin March 31. He is also happy for the arrival of spring because he’s tired of having to practice indoors.
“It felt so nice the other day to be on the court and not in the gym,” said Ortmann.
Ortmann has fond memories of his athletics at WHS. Football stands out in his mind the most because this past season was the one where he not only enjoyed it, but also excelled.
“I never scored a touchdown until senior year,” said Ortmann. “Then I think I scored 12, so that was intense.”
Ortmann broke out in 2007 to become the favorite target of junior quarterback and fellow three-sport WHS athlete Derek Brown.
“I miss it (football),” said Ortmann. “It keeps you going because it’s such a rush.”
Ortmann may not know just yet which college he’s going to, what he would like to study, or even what sport he will play, but he does know that now is the time, and he’s ready for the next level.
“I am ready to be done with high school,” said Ortmann. “It’s time.”
Look for Ortmann on the tennis courts this spring.

 

This article was published in the March 19, 2008 edition of The Woodstock Independent.