| Eric Nilsson |
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2007-08: Northwestern's most versatile swimmer, has official times in 11 different events this season, earning spots on NU's top times list in 9-of-14 individual events ... Earned two All-America honors at the NCAA Championships as a member of the 200 free and 400 free relays, bringing his career All-America total to three ... Swam a career-best 1:35.91 in the 200 free to finish 18th at the NCAA Championships ... Also had a career-best time of 1:45.25 in the 200 fly to end up 17th overall at the NCAA meet, just .05 of a second out of the points and an All-America accolade ... Competed in the 500 free at the NCAA Championships, as well ... Qualified for the championship final in all three of his individual events at the Big Ten Championships, finishing fourth in the 200 free, fifth in the 200 fly with a career-best 1:45.73 and sixth in the 500 free ... All six of his preliminary and finals swims were NCAA `B' provisional qualifying marks ... Member of NU's 200 free, 400 free, 800 free and 400 medley relays at the Big Ten Championships, finishing second with the 400 free squad and earning NCAA `B' cuts in all four events ... Entering the Big Ten Championships, had 11 different NCAA `B' provisional qualifying swims, including five each in the 200 and 500 free ... Held NU's top times of the year in the 200 free, 500 free, 1,000 free, 1,650 free, 100 back and 200 fly, earning NCAA `B' cuts in the 200 free, 500 free and 200 fly ... Also ranked on the Wildcats' top times list for the year in the 100 free, 200 IM and 400 IM ... Had nine first-place finishes in dual-meet races ... Won the 200 fly, 200 free and 500 free against No. 21 Notre Dame (1/19) ... Won both the 400 IM and the 500 free while finishing second in the 200 free in a double-dual meet against Purdue and No. 22 Texas A&M (11/3) ... Won the championship in the 200 free at the Georgia Invitational, while finishing third in the 500 free and sixth in the 200 fly (11/30-12/2) ... Finished first among all collegiate entries (and second overall behind several Olympic gold medalists) in the 500 free, 200 free and 200 fly at the prestigious Classic at SMU (1/11-1/12).
2006-07: Made the first NCAA individual final of his collegiate career, finishing 16th in the 500 free after swimming a school-record time of 4:18.86 in the prelims ... Swam on the 'Cats record-setting 400 free relay at the NCAA Championships that finished third ... Narrowly missed qualifying for the finals in the 200 free, setting a personal-best time of 1:36.08 en route to an 18th-place finish ... Finished 22nd in the 200 fly at the NCAA Championships ... Also swam on the 800 free relay that finished 17th ... Earned two All-America honors to push his career total to three ... Recorded NU's best time of the year in the 500 free, 1000 free and 200 fly ... Finished fourth in the 500 free at the Big Ten Championships with a 4:21.48 after swimming a school-record 4:19.20 in the prelims ... Took third in the 200 free with a 1:36.58 at the Big Ten meet ... Finished eighth in the finals at the Big Ten Championships in the 200 fly after posting a career-best time of 1:46.61 to take fifth during the prelims ... Won 20 events throughout the season ... Named Big Ten Swimmer of the Week for November 7 ... Set a Norris Aquatics Center pool record in the 200 free when he swam a time of 1:36.79 for the 'Cats leadoff leg in the 800 free relay at the TYR Invitational ... Also broke the Norris Aquatics Center pool record in the 500 free during preliminaries for the TYR Invitational (4:20.78) ... Broke Notre Dame's pool record in the 500 free (4:23.27) ... Set personal bests in the 200 fly and 500 free ... Won three different events at the TYR Invitational (500 free, 200 fly and 400 IM).
2005-06: Earned an All-America honor during his first NCAA Championships, swimming with the seventh-place 400 free relay ... Recorded the team's best times of the year in the 500 free, 1000 free and 1650 free ... Recorded the team's second-best times of the year in the 200 free and 200 fly ... Recorded the team's third-best time of the year in the 400 IM ... Member of the relay team that had a 1:18.25 in the 200 free relay at the Big Ten Championships ... Finished fourth in the 500 free at the Big Ten meet in 4:22.61 after swimming a career-best 4:22.47 in the prelims ... Finished second in the consolation final of the 200 free at the Big Ten meet with a 1:37.74 ... Swam a personal-best 1:36.33 in the 200 free at the NCAA Championships, earning a 17th-place overall finish ... Won three individual events against Notre Dame: the 200 free, the 200 fly and the 500 free ... Placed second in the 500 free at the Dallas Morning News Classic ... Named Big Ten Swimmer of the Week on 1/24 ... Second-team All-Big Ten honoree.
High School: Named Boston Globe's Swimmer of the Year twice ... Received multiple All-American honors ... NISCA Massachusetts Swimmer of the Year ... Holds Weston High School records in the 100, 200 and 500 free, 100 back, 100 fly, 200 IM, 200 free relay, 400 free relay and 200 medley relay ... Member of three state championship teams ... Swam eight years of club with the New England Barracudas ... Three-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American ... Honor roll student.
Personal: Born Eric Thomas Nilsson on 6/30/87 ... Son of Robert and Beth Nilsson ... Chose Northwestern over Harvard, Michigan and Virginia ... Majoring in statistics.
NILSSON'S PERSONAL BESTS
| 200 Fly | 1:45.25 |
| 200 Free | 1:35.91 |
| 500 Free | 4:18.86 |
| 1650 Free | 15:32.85 |
