Bucknell University Athletics
Men's Swimmer Mike Nicholson Named Susquehanna Valley Limousine Bison Athlete of the Week
2/27/2012 7:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
Feb. 27, 2012
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Sophomore swimmer Mike Nicholson(Chappaqua, N.Y./Horace Greeley) was named the Susquehanna Valley Bison Athlete of the Week on Monday following a weekend where he captured two titles at the ECAC Championships. Nicholson also added a second-place showing as he helped Bucknell to a second-place finish in the team standings.
The first Bison swimmer to win two ECAC titles in the same year since Jay Gross in 1993, Nicholson won the 200 breast and 400 IM and earned silver in the 200 IM over the weekend. Nicholson, Gross, Jim Harvey, Don Steenson, Matthew Segar and Eric Sokolosky are the only swimmers in Bucknell history to win multiple Eastern championships.
Nicholson competed in six individual races over the weekend, combining the prelims and finals, and finished in the top three positions in all six, including four first-place showings.
Perhaps the most impressive performance by Nicholson came in the 200 breast, when he timed in at 2:01.71, just, .03 seconds shy of Stephen Schwanhausser's nine-year-old school record. Nicholson was 1.74 seconds ahead of the runner-up finisher as he trimmed 2.20 seconds off his winning prelim time.
Nicholson led a strong contingent of Bison that combined for a school-record five ECAC titles during the three-day meet. Sokolosky captured the 100 free for the second time in his career, Segar won the 200 free, and the 400 free relay squad won the program's second-ever ECAC relay crown.
A two-time First Team All-Patriot League selection, Nicholson tied for the team lead with 47 points scored at last week's Patriot League Championships. He finished second in the 200 IM, second in the 400 IM and sixth in the 200 fly at the conference meet.
Nicholson owns three Bucknell school records (200 fly, 200 IM, 400 IM) and he ranks in the top 10 in program history in five events.
A three-time Patriot League Male Swimmer of the Week in 2011-12, Nicholson has now been named Bison Athlete of the Week twice this season.
Nicholson opened his busy weekend by swimming the 200 fly and 400 IM at Thursday's ECAC Long Course Invite that was designed to give swimmers a chance to reach U.S. Olympic Trials qualifying times.
