Bucknell University Athletics
Bison Men's Swimmer Nicholson, Women's Diver Hetherington Earn Patriot League Weekly Honors
10/10/2011 8:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
Oct. 10, 2011
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell sophomore swimmer Mike Nicholson (Chappaqua, N.Y./Horace Greeley) was named the Patriot League Male Swimmer of the Week and Bison freshman diver Katie Hetherington (Houston, Texas/Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart) was named the league's Female Diver of the Week on Monday. Both were cited for their performances in a season-opening meet against UMBC nine days ago. The Patriot League combined its first set of weekly awards to cover the first two weekends of competition.
Nicholson earned his fourth career Patriot League honor after posting three first-place finishes in IM events against the Retrievers. One of two Bison to win three events in the unscored meet, Nicholson claimed the 100, 200 and 400 IM races and helped the 400 free relay to a fifth-place finish. He won the 400 IM by a whopping 8.90 seconds over second-place Billy Krause, while he claimed the 200 IM by nearly five seconds.
A First Team All-Patriot League selection as a freshman in 2010-11, Nicholson is already the school record-holder in the 200 and 400 IM and ranks in the top 10 in four total events. He claimed the 400 IM at last year's Patriot League Championships and was named a Mid-Major Honorable Mention All-American.
Hetherington made quite a splash in her first career meet, finishing first off both boards and breaking the Bucknell record in one-meter competition by more than six points. Her score of 264.68 bettered Rebecca Bersani's previous mark that had stood since November 2007. Hetherington also scored a 252.53 off the three-meter, putting her fourth all-time at Bucknell, less than eight points shy of Allison FitzPatrick's school record.
The Bison swimming and diving teams will be back in action Saturday, Oct. 22, when they host George Washington at 1 p.m. inside Kinney Natatorium. It will be the first score dual of the year for Bucknell.
