Uytengsu joined the swimming team of the University of Southern California on his first year at the institution. He was coming from an injury on his right leg which he sustained in a car accident during his last school year as a high school student. In 1982, at the end of his third year in the university, he was voted to be the captain of the team in the next school year in 1983. He was coached by Peter Daland during his stay with the USC team. He also represented the Philippines in international competitions as part of the national swimming team, including the team that competed at the 1981 Southeast Asian Games.