Collegiate career
Mortimer swam for the Minnesota Golden Gophers under coaches Dennis Dale and Kelly Kremer. During his tenure, he earned 13 All-America honors, Academic All-American [7] , and set school records in the 500, 1000, and 1650-yard freestyle and 400-yard individual medley [8] [9] [10] . He was inducted into the University of Minnesota Aquatics Hall of Fame in 2015 [11] [12] . [13] In 2003, he represented the United States at the 2003 Summer Universiade in Daegu, winning silver medals in the 400-meter freestyle and the 4x200-meter freestyle relay. [14] [15]
2004–2006: National and international success
Mortimer took a hiatus from collegiate competition during the 2003–04 season to train with the Mission Viejo Nadadores under coach Bill Rose. [16] At the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials in Long Beach, he recorded several top-ten finishes but did not qualify for the Olympic team, finishing third in the 1500-meter freestyle (15:13.66) [17] [18] and fourth in the 400-meter freestyle [19] . [20]
Despite missing the Olympic roster, Mortimer’s 2004 season saw him achieve a World Top 10 ranking in the Open (all age) division [21] . Shortly after the trials, at the 2004 U.S. Summer Nationals, he won four individual titles (200m, 800m, 1500m freestyle, and 400m IM) to earn his first Kiphuth High Point Award [22] . Later that year, at the FINA World Championships (25m) in Indianapolis, he won a gold medal in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay and an individual bronze medal in the 400-meter freestyle [23] [24] [25] . [26]
In 2005, at the World University Games in Izmir, he won the gold medal in the 1500-meter freestyle [27] [28] . He concluded his high-level domestic career at the 2006 U.S. Spring Nationals, where he swept the distance freestyle events, received his second Kiphuth High Point Award and seventh National title [29] . [30] [31]
