LA JOLLA, Calif. – University of California, San Diego athletic department recently sat down with swimming and diving's Tina Reuter and Zack Reuter for a Q & A series. The Reuter siblings are both captains for the swimming and diving program, both have garnished All-American honors so far in their careers and both are engineering majors.
 
How did you get started with swimming? Is it a family activity?
Our family did triathlons growing up. We grew up running and biking and were behind in swimming. So our mom signed us up for swimming. Eventually we both stuck to swimming.
 
Zack – Why UC San Diego and did you try and recruit Tina to UCSD?
I choose it because of the team atmosphere and the engineering department. I love the city. And the fact that its DII and we get to compete at the champions and its transitioning to DI. Yes I did recruit her.
 
Tina – What made you pick UC San Diego?
 
I loved the team, the coaches and the city of San Diego.
 
You both are captains. Talk about leadership styles and how they differ.
Zack - Both lead more by example then vocally. Tina is nicer. Both have a good relationship with the coaches.
 
Favorite moments on the team so far? (Both had too many to choose from)
Tina – One of mine was recent. At our midseason meet we out touched UC Santa Barbara in the 400-yard free relay.
 
Zack – I'd say winning the (Pacific Collegiate Swim and Dive Conference) conference freshman year to make it 10 in a row or being at nationals.
 
You both are engineering majors. Talk about that.
Zack – I'm a mechanical engineer and I want to go into aerospace. I love hearing the planes fly across campus. I recently joined the Human power engineering club. We have a competition where you put a person in a sub and they have to bike across water. 
 
Tina – I'm a chemical engineer. I'm not sure what I want to do yet but I'm in class about humanitarian engineering that's really interesting. I'm part of Nasa design team that's designing drones.
 
Tina – You broke your arm. Talk about how you came back from that.
I broke it the week of conference last year. I received so much support from teammates, got texts, a huge card. Coaches put a lot of effort to try and find ways for me to work out with it broken. Marko (Djordjevic) kept saying I believe in you which really helped through it.
 
Who's the better singer?
Zack – Tina for sure. 
Tina – Yea me.
 
Secret talent?
Tina – I did ballet growing up and I can do the splits.
Zack – I play guitar mostly rock and classic rock.
 
Favorite pregame meal?
Both - Spaghetti and meatballs and chocolate milk
 
Favorite Athlete?
Tina - Simon Biles
Zack - Aaron Rodgers

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With 30 national team championships, nearly 150 individual titles and the top student-athlete graduation rate among Division II institutions in the United States, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program annually ranks as one of the most successful in the country.  The Tritons sponsor 23 intercollegiate sport programs that compete on the NCAA Division I and II levels and, in summer 2020, will transition into full Division I status as a member of the Big West Conference.  UC San Diego student-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent.  A total of 82 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships.  In competition, more than 1,300 UC San Diego student-athletes have earned All-America honors.

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