JC Gordon celebrates a strong finish in a race for Virginia Tech as a freshman this past season.
Men’s swimming lands LCA graduate, Virginia Tech recruit JC Gordon through transfer portal
6/2/2025 1:12:00 PM | Men's Swimming
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The four-time VHSL state champion, four-time Lynchburg YMCA national champion enjoyed a solid freshman season with the NCAA Division I Hokies.
Following a third consecutive second-place showing at the College Club Swimming National Championships, Liberty University's men's swim team has added an NCAA Division I transfer who could lead the team to its first national title next spring.
JC Gordon, who was a four-time VHSL state champion and three-time Scholastic All-American at Liberty Christian Academy and four-time Lynchburg YMCA national champion, just finished his freshman season at Virginia Tech.
"I made the travel team and got to swim against Penn State and placed second in races against Queens (of Charlotte, N.C.) and Duke, which was pretty cool," Gordon said. "I didn't get to swim at ACCs or NCAAs, unfortunately, as I would have scored there."
Liberty eighth-year Head Coach Heath Grishaw, who also swam at LCA and coached Gordon on the Forest Area Swim Team (FAST) and the Lynchburg YMCA team early in his swimming career, believes Gordon will help fill the void left by five-time individual national champion Matt Davidson, who returned for a fifth season this past fall and again led the Flames in points at nationals.
Gordon won his fourth YMCA National Championship in 2023 in Greensboro, N.C.
"For us, it's a blessing to receive someone like JC from the transfer portal," Grishaw said. "He will be a huge piece for this team. He has a genuine heart for the Lord and knows what it takes to compete at an elite level. Someone with his talent and skill could go to a lot of schools, but he chose Liberty. This just speaks to the level of quality this program attracts. He will be a good beacon for our team. We believe he will be a future record-holder for our program and a potential national champion and College Club Swimming record-holder."
Davidson used to give Gordon and his older brother — John Michael Gordon, Davidson's training partner and JC's role model who swam for the University of Kentucky's NCAA Division I program — rides to YMCA practices.
"Matthew and Heath and all the guys that have come before me over the years (at Liberty) laid the foundation and made such an impact on me personally," JC Gordon said.
Predominantly a distance freestyler, Gordon's personal best times in the 500-yard free (4 minutes, 25.07 seconds), 1,000 free (9:16.85), and 1,650 free (15:23) are 10-20 seconds faster than the Flames' current program records and his fastest 400 individual medley time would rank second or third. Over the years, he won YMCA national titles in the 400, 800, and 1,650 freestyle, as well as the 800 free relay.
"I'm happy to be at Liberty now," said Gordon, whose fiancée, Bri Olson, is a rising senior on the Lady Flames' beach volleyball team. "I really enjoy competing, and I hope to bring back a national championship for Liberty's men's swimming team. I want to contribute as much as I can and help with recruiting, to get as many people here as possible who enjoy swimming and also enjoy being with a body of believers."
Gordon, who is completing an internship this summer with Blair Construction, based in Gretna, Va., plans to pursue a B.S. in Project Management through Liberty's School of Business after studying construction management through Virginia Tech's engineering department. He is the son of Ryan Gordon, owner of Blue Ridge Scientific, a drug and alcohol-testing medical practice in Lynchburg that also conducts sports physicals.
Gordon poses with his parents, Lisa and Ryan, after a YMCA Nationals meet.
Gordon said the spiritual culture at Liberty, particularly fostered by Grishaw on the men's swim team, was a major factor in his decision to transfer to his hometown university. His relationship with LCA Campus Pastor Andy Lawrenson also influenced the move.
"I'm a firm believer and going to Virginia Tech and being surrounded by people that were different than me was very cool because I got to be a light there," Gordon said. "But I am looking forward to going to Liberty, where I can be held accountable not only as a high-level athlete, but also as a man of God and a believer."
He said as much as he has developed as a swimmer over the past several seasons, Grishaw has developed his coaching pedigree.
"Heath has grown so much as a coach, and he is a great man of God, so I am definitely excited to reconnect and work with him again," Gordon said.
He is also excited about the opportunity to swim with the Flames in their state-of-the-art facilities.
"The (Liberty) Natatorium is one of the nicest pools on the East Coast, an incredible pool," Gordon said. "I'm very excited to get to train there every day."
By Ted Allen/Staff WriterYouth from the Farmington Swim Team in Forest sent Gordon out with a party last summer before he launched his collegiate career.
