Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell's Mike Nicholson Named Mid-Major Honorable Mention All-American by CollegeSwimming.com for Second Straight Year
4/26/2012 8:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
April 26, 2012
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell sophomore men's swimmer Mike Nicholson (Chappaqua, N.Y./Horace Greeley) was named a CollegeSwimming.com Honorable Mention Mid-Major All-American for the second straight year, it was announced Thursday. A two-time First Team All-Patriot League selection, Nicholson helped the Bison to their fourth runner-up finish in the last five years at the Patriot League Championships.
Nicholson, in 2011-12, added to his already impressive list of accomplishments. He finished second in the 200 IM, second in the 400 IM and sixth in the 200 fly at the Patriot League Championships, giving him four career top-three showings at the league meet in just two years. He won the 400 IM crown in 2011 as a freshman. Already the school record holder in the 200 IM, 400 IM and 200 fly, Nicholson set a season-best time in the 200 IM (1:50.11) at the conference meet.
Nicholson followed up his strong Patriot League Championships performance with a solid showing at the ECAC Championships. He became the first Bison to win two ECAC titles in the same year since Jay Gross in 1993 as he captured the 200 breast and 400 IM. Additionally, Nicholson placed second in the 200 IM to help Bucknell to a second-place finish in the team standings at the competitive meet.
Perhaps the most impressive performance by Nicholson at this year's ECAC Championships 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.
In addition to his three school record (200 fly, 200 IM, 400 IM), Nicholson ranks in the top 10 in program history in the 1,000 free (7th) and the 200 breast (2nd).
Nicholson was named the Patriot League Male Swimmer of the Week three times in 2011-12, giving him a total of six awards in his first two years. He posted 28 first-place finishes in 43 races this past season.
