Bucknell University Athletics
Men's Swimmer Mike Nicholson Named Bison Athlete of the Week
2/21/2011 7:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
Feb. 21, 2011
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell freshman swimmer Mike Nicholson (Chappaqua, N.Y./Horace Greeley) broke two school records and won the 400-yard individual medley title at this past weekend's Patriot League Championships. On Monday, he was named the Susquehanna Valley Limousine Bison Athlete of the Week for the second time this year.
Thanks to top-seven finishes in three different events during the three-day championship meet, Nicholson contributed 48 points to third-place Bucknell's team score. The 48 points were the most by any non-Navy swimmer. Nicholson's final performance list included the individual title in the 400 IM, a third-place showing in the 200 IM and a seventh-place finish in the 200 fly.
Competing in his first career league meet, Nicholson opened with a bang as he broke the school record in the 200 IM that had stood for 23 years entering the day. Bucknell Athletics Hall of Famer Jim Harvey had owned the 200 IM record (1:50.66) since the 1988 East Coast Conference Championships before Christian Treat broke it in Thursday's prelims with a 1:50.39. That record was short-lived as Nicholson smashed it in the finals, timing in at 1:49.75, nearly a second faster than Harvey's long-standing mark.
The very next day Nicholson added a second school record to his tally as he won the 400 IM in an NCAA "B" time of 3:52.09. He touched the wall 1.06 seconds ahead of runner-up Justin Vagts of Navy and shaved nearly five seconds off the previous school record of 3:56.81, held by Luke Trafton since 2009. Nicholson also knocked more than seven seconds off his previous best (3:59.26) entering the day.
Nicholson's victory in the 400 IM was the only individual title by a Bison at the Patriot League Championships. He became the first Bucknell freshman to win gold since Trafton captured the 1,650 free crown as a rookie in 2007. Nicholson also became the first Bison to win an IM title of any kind since Rick Steenson captured the 200 IM gold in 1994.
The final day of the Patriot League Championships did not feature more broken records for Nicholson, but he still had an impressive showing in the 200 fly, finishing seventh. His time of 1:51.56 was faster than any other Bison this season and it was his second-fastest time of the year in the event.
A two-time Patriot League Male Swimmer of the Week and now a two-time Bison Athlete of the Week, Nicholson now ranks in the top five in program history in four events (200 breast, 200 fly, 200 IM, 400 IM).
Bucknell will continue competition this weekend at the ECAC Championships in Pittsburgh, Pa.
