Posted
December 27, 2024
Chris Rouchard ’06, one of the most successful swimmers in St. Edward history, will be inducted into the Howard E. Ferguson Athletic Hall of Fame on January 16. Join us to celebrate his achievements and honor all the 2025 inductees!
Chris Rouchard is the school record holder in both the 200 and 500 freestyle. In his senior year, he finished 5th in the state in the 200 free and 9th in the 500 free. He was also a team captain; a two-year MVP; earned both the Br. James Everett, C.S.C. Character Award and the Howard E. Ferguson Inspirational Award; and was named to the All Ohio and All America Interscholastic Teams.
Among these accomplishments, Rouchard is most proud of being a team captain along with the other seniors. He shares, “Throughout our years at Ed's, we put in a lot of work together and built an outstanding team with great camaraderie. It was awesome to be able to lead it together.”
Looking back, Rouchard is grateful for his time on the swim team. From his teammates and coaches to the grueling early morning and late afternoon practices, Rouchard attributes his success to his enjoyment of the entire experience, which increased his motivation to work hard. “I am fortunate to say I enjoyed all of it,” he said. Rouchard’s St. Edward coaches included John Collis, Jim Douglass, and Phil Geiger, who pushed him to improve each day. In addition, Rouchard notes that Br. James Everett, C.S.C. helped him acclimate to the school when he moved to Ohio from Minnesota as a sophomore. “Br. James followed our swim careers throughout our time at Ed’s, and was always there supporting us at both meets and at practice,” Rouchard said.
Rouchard’s favorite high school swimming memory is from the 2006 Northeast District Championship meet at Cleveland State University, when the Eagles’ 4x100 freestyle relay tied with Boardman, forcing a swim-off that St. Edward won.
After graduating from high school, Rouchard attended the University of Maryland, where he studied Accounting and Criminal Justice and continued his distinguished swimming career, becoming college team captain.
Today, Rouchard works in federal law enforcement and lives in Philadelphia with his wife of six years, Jennifer, and his two children, Thomas (5) and Stella (2).