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If all good stories must come to an end, then arguably the best athlete in UA history chose the perfect way to go out

At this weekend's NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Minneapolis, senior Ryk Neethling ended his decorated career at Arizona in a fashion that perfectly fits his style. Neethling won two individual titles, but lost his bid for a third in a race that undoubtedly will keep him motivated for the Summer Olympics in Sydney.

Neethling, a South African native, captured the 400-meter freestyle event Friday in the fastest time ever swam in the United States. On Saturday, he came back to win the 200m freestyle by coming from behind to defeat Stanford's Adam Messner in the last 25 meters of the race.

Yesterday, though, Neethling lost his final individual race as a Wildcat. In the 1500m freestyle - a race he had won at the three previous NCAA Championship meets - Neethling finished third, eight seconds shy of becoming the third NCAA swimmer ever to win 10 individual titles.

Neethling, though, has never been an athlete to dwell on his shortcomings in the pool, partly because there haven't been many of them.

He is a competitor in the purest sense of the word.

During his four years at Arizona, Neethling has taken personal defeats as a challenge. On several occasions, he has used a loss to springboard to train harder for the chance at revenge.

Neethling has time after time told teammates and reporters he would destroy a victorious opponent the next time they met. He has never been afraid to speak openly about his swimming talents because, frankly, he can back it up in the pool and has done so on many occasions.

If history repeats itself, Michigan's Chris Thompson and USC's Eric Vendt - the two swimmers who finished ahead of Neethling in yesterday's mile race - are in for a treat this summer in Australia.

What's equally impressive about Neethling is his personality. He has never objected to late night interviews, photo requests or personal questions about his upbringing in South Africa. Some UA athletes in recent times have refused to all three - sometimes justifiably so - but not Neethling.

Besides talking about his career, Neethling has always had kind words for his coaches and teammates. And, he ends most conversations with a simple "Cheers."

But Neethling will ultimately be remembered for his dominance in the pool. In addition to the two titles he picked up during the weekend, Neethling also won three in 1999 (200, 500 and 1650), three in 1998 (200, 500 and 1650) and one his freshman season (1650).

He was named the NCAA Division I Swimmer of the Year last season, and was also selected Pac-10 Swimmer of the Year for the third time and should expect a fourth honor in the next few weeks.

Plus, he has left a legacy behind that every UA athlete - male or female, swimming or basketball - will have to live up to.

Cheers, Ryk.