Nicholson Breaks Own 200 IM School Record, Bucknell Men's Swimming and Diving Third at PL Championships

Thursday, February 21

Lewisburg, Pa.

6:00 PM

Bucknell University

Patriot League Championships Finals

Nicholson Breaks Own 200 IM School Record, Bucknell Men's Swimming and Diving Third at PL Championships

2/21/2013 7:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving

By: TBD

Feb. 21, 2013

Results | Finals Photo Gallery | Prelims Photo Gallery

LEWISBURG, Pa. - Junior Mike Nicholson continues to re-write the Bucknell men's swimming record books. The two-time All-Patriot League selection broke his own school record in the 200-yard individual medley en route to a third-place finish Thursday evening on the first day of the Patriot League Championships at Kinney Natatorium. Nicholson's bronze medal showing in the 200 IM was the top individual finish by a Bison.

Bucknell is listed third in the team standings after day one. Nine-time defending champion Navy is first (303 points), while Army is second (205). Bucknell (170.5) and Lehigh (142.5) round out the top half of the standings.

Nicholson, who already owned the 200 IM school record (1:49.75), lowered his own standard by nearly a second as he touched the wall in 1:48.81. Teammate Christian Treat, who scored in a Patriot League race for a 10th time in his career, was fourth in the second-best time in school history (1:49.52). Nicholson, who also owns Bucknell records in the 200 fly and 400 IM, has now finished third, second and third in the 200 IM the last three years.

Nicholson and Treat teamed with Matt Hadley and Trevor Reitz on the 400 medley relay that finished third. The foursome time in at 3:21.18, the sixth-best mark in school history. Hadley swam the leadoff backstroke leg in 51.36, the No. 9 time in Bison history.

The 500 free and 50 free were also contested on Thursday. Billy Krause (7th) was Bucknell's top finisher in the 500 free, while Steve Grune(t-7th) was the top Bison finisher in the 50 free. Krause posted a time of 4:30.12 in the prelims to rank No. 3 on the school's all-time list, while Grune's prelim time of 20.77 ranked eighth. He later lowered that to 20.72 during a swim-off to earn a spot in the "A" final. He also swam a 20.74 on the leadoff leg of the 200 free relay that placed third and posted the No. 6 time in program history.

Three-meter diving was also held on Thursday and Bucknell's Jon Jones, Tyler Wenzel and Patrick Alvermann finished ninth, 10th and 11th, respectively, during the prelims and did not advance to the evening finals. Still, that trio added 22 points to the team total with their finishes.

Lehigh (200 free relay), Navy's Justin Vagts (500 free), Navy's Benjamin Bondurant (200 IM), Navy's Hugh Davison (50 free), Army's Chris Nguyen (three-meter diving) and Navy (400 medley relay) earned victories on Thursday.

The three-day Patriot League Championships will continue Friday. Prelims begin at 10:30 a.m., while finals are slated for 6 p.m. The entire Patriot League Championships is being broadcast on Bison Vision and Patriot League All-Access. Live results are available via BucknellBison.com.

Team Scores
1. Navy - 303
2. Army - 205
3. Bucknell - 170.5
4. Lehigh - 142.5
5. Colgate - 69
6. American - 52
7. Holy Cross - 50
8. Lafayette - 32

New Top-10 Times
500 free (3. Billy Krause - 4:30.12)
200 IM (1. Mike Nicholson - 1:48.81; 2. Christian Treat - 1:49.52; 7. Ben Seketa - 1:51.81; 9. Wes Marberry - 1:52.83)
50 free (7. Steve Grune - 20.72)
200 free relay (6. Grune, Suchomel, Hadley, Reitz - 1:22.51)
400 medley relay (6. Hadley, Treat, Nicholson, Reitz - 3:21.18)
100 back (9. Matt Hadley - 51.36 (relay split))