Former KO swimmer Marrich Somridhivej ’22 has taken his swimming career from the KO pool to the top of NCAA Division III and now to the international stage, representing Thailand at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.

For Somridhivej, whose family is originally from Thailand, competing for the Thai National Swim Team marks the latest achievement in a remarkable trajectory that has included national championships, All-America honors, and NCAA records.

Before all of that, he was a Wyvern. At KO, Somridhivej competed in both swimming and track and field and was named the boys’ swimming MVP his senior year. He was also inducted into the Cum Laude Society before graduating in 2022 and heading to Bates College.

What followed at Bates was an extraordinary four-year rise. Somridhivej arrived as a non-recruited swimmer and ultimately became one of the most accomplished swimmers in Bates history. By the end of his senior season, the team captain was a 10-time All-American, a two-time NCAA Division III national champion, and the NESCAC Men’s Swimmer of the Year. He also earned First Team Academic All-America honors while majoring in biology.

His senior season proved particularly memorable. At the 2026 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships, Somridhivej won the national championship in the 100-yard breaststroke in 51.82 seconds, the second-fastest performance in Division III history. Two days earlier, he had helped make Bates history as a member of the national championship 400-yard medley relay. Somridhivej swam the breaststroke leg as the Bobcats finished in 3:08.43, shattering the previous NCAA Division III record of 3:09.78 and securing the first national relay championship in Bates program history.

By the end of his collegiate career, Somridhivej’s name appeared throughout the Bates record book. He set school records in all three breaststroke distances: 23.87 in the 50-yard breaststroke, an NCAA Division III record; 51.82 in the 100; and 1:59.61 in the 200. He also helped establish Bates records in the 200-yard medley relay, 400-yard medley relay, and 200-yard freestyle relay. The two medley relay marks were also NCAA Division III records.

His accomplishments extended beyond the pool. Somridhivej maintained a 3.93 GPA as a biology major and earned multiple academic honors during his Bates career, including three CSCAA Scholar All-America selections and two NESCAC All-Academic honors.

Now, just months after concluding that record-setting collegiate career, Somridhivej is wearing Thailand’s colors at one of Asia’s largest international sporting competitions. The 2026 Asian Games are being held in Japan from September 19 through October 4, bringing together athletes from across the continent.