Bucknell University Athletics
Men's Swimming and Diving's Mike Nicholson Named Susquehanna Valley Limousine Bison Athlete of the Week
11/21/2011 7:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
Nov. 21, 2011
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Sophomore men's swimmer Mike Nicholson (Chappaqua, N.Y./Horace Greeley) was named the Susquehanna Valley Limousine Bison Athlete of the Week on Monday after another record-breaking performance at this past weekend's Bucknell Invitational. Already the school record holder in the 200 IM and 400 IM, Nicholson broke Bucknell Athletics Hall of Famer Jim Harvey's 24-year-old standard in the 200 fly en route to his third individual gold medal at the three-day meet.
Nicholson had an outstanding meet as he won the 200 IM, 400 IM and 200 fly. He was also part of the winning 400 medley relay squad and his 200 breast prelim time (2:04.52) was a new personal best, the fifth-best time in program history, and the fastest in the field, but he did not participate in the final.
Nicholson, last year, was one of two Bison to surpass Harvey's long-standing 200 IM mark, and on Sunday he broke one of Harvey's three remaining records he still held more than two decades after graduation. Nicholson swam the 200 fly in 1:48.57, which was 1.73 seconds faster than Harvey's standard, and 4.15 ahead of the second-place finisher in the race.
A First Team All-Patriot League selection last year as a freshman, Nicholson's three individual victories this past weekend came by a combined 16.67 seconds (+10.65 in 400 IM, +4.15 in 200 fly, +1.87 in 200 IM). His time of 3:53.73 in the 400 IM was an NCAA "B" cut and was faster than the No. 2 swimmer on Bucknell's top-10 list (Luke Trafton) by more than three seconds.
A versatile swimmer, Nicholson now holds three school records (200 IM, 400 IM, 200 fly), and ranks on the program top-10 lists in five events. He copped Bison Athlete of the Week honors two times in 2010-11. This is his first honor in 2011-12.
Nicholson's performance helped Bucknell (3-1, 2-1 PL) to a first-place finish in the seven-team Bucknell Invitational field. The Bison will be back in action Dec. 3 at La Salle.
