They’re the first two names associated with Northwestern swimming: Matt Grevers and Mike Alexandrov.
On the surface, much about the duo seems similar. They are two star juniors for the No. 15 Wildcats. Grevers is the defending national champion in the 100-meter backstroke, was recently in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” and is a favorite to repeat at NCAAs. Alexandrov was a 2004 Olympian for Bulgaria, finished third in the 50-meter freestyle at a World Cup event Feb. 3 and competed at the European Championships in December.
“They’re both very confident and they both like to race,” NU coach Bob Groseth said. “If there’s one thing that they have in common it’s that they both like to race, not just at meets but at practice every day and lifting weights. It shows, and you can see that when they swim in big races.”
But that’s where the similarities end. A simple conversation with Grevers and Alexandrov reveals the first major difference. Grevers demands attention, always boisterous with plenty to say, while Alexandrov is soft-spoken and succinct.
Even when they stated their goals for this weekend’s Big Ten championships in Bloomington, Ind., their difference in style came through. Grevers is favored to defend his 100 backstroke and 100 freestyle titles and will likely be given the edge in every other event in which he competes. So when sizing up the weekend ahead, Grevers was his usual bold self.
“I would like to win pretty much everything,” Grevers said. “It’s not going to be easy, but that’s what I want. I mean, I never really set easy goals, so it’s definitely something I’m looking forward to, seeing if we can do that.”
Meanwhile, Alexandrov was straight and to the point. The 2005 Big Ten 100 breaststroke champion made his proclamation almost matter-of-factly.
“I haven’t lost a race in a while, so I don’t plan on losing,” Alexandrov said. “That’s about it.”
They were two different remarks, but they made the same statement: they crave victory. The truly striking thing about Grevers and Alexandrov is that while they possess different personalities, the defining qualities they share – competitiveness and confidence – have won them races and earned them the respect of their teammates and coaches.
“I think that you if you take someone like a Matt Grevers or a Mike Alexandrov and you add them to a team by themselves, they’re going to make a huge impact,” Groseth said. “Those two guys combined make such an exponentially high impact that it’s almost hard to quantify.”
Grevers and Alexandrov have a relationship based on the same qualities that have propelled them to victories at past Big Ten and NCAA championships. Both spoke of their good-natured trash-talking during practice, something Grevers particularly reveled in.
“We have the stupidest conversations,” Grevers said. “I’m embarrassed to talk about it, but I’m like, ‘Hey, I’m better than you,’ (and) it’s like, ‘No, I’m better than you.’ And we’ll go off and list all the events of who’s going to beat who in which event and who’s going to win more.
“Of course, I’m going to win more. But that competitive relationship we have I think is kind of driving us to get faster.”
Alexandrov also enjoys the exchange of words, but he was quick to point out his and Grevers’ steadfast support of each other when a race is on the line.
“We’re very competitive people in the pool,” Alexandrov said. “We always talk trash to each other. (But) whenever it’s time to go at a big meet, we’re always supportive. He’s always supportive. I’m always supportive. I think at the right place at the right time, we do the right things.”
The Cats will be counting on it this weekend. Grevers and Alexandrov play a key roll in the NU attack, both individually and on the relay teams, where points will likely prove critical at the Big Ten and NCAA championships. While neither the coaching staff nor the swimmers feel the Cats will win this weekend’s meet due to a smaller team size than the competition, everyone was clear that the goal is to win more relays and individual events than any other team.
“I can’t imagine us being in contention without either one of those guys on it,” Groseth said. “I think the combination of Mike and Matt together has made us put together (relay) teams that can win at Big Ten championships.”
But, as Grevers was happy to bring up, the question remains: who is better? Both swimmers hold a trump card in the debate, Grevers being an NCAA champion and Alexandrov an Olympian. However, Grevers was quick to discredit the legitimacy of the man teammates call “Euro.”
“Ah, he’s a foreigner, Olympics doesn’t count,” Grevers said tongue-in-cheek. “If I was in Bulgaria I would have made it.”
Regardless of who is NU’s finest, Grevers and Alexandrov have established themselves as one of the top duos in the Big Ten. And while they appreciate the interest they’ve drawn from the swimming world (“I like all eyes on me,” Grevers said), there have been some downsides to the attention.
“If you goof around or are not really the role model the coaches or teammates expect, you’re letting people down, so that part of it stinks,” Grevers said. “You have to watch your actions because people might be following your footsteps.”
Whatever they have been doing, it has worked for the Cats. Even with the goofing around, the trash-talking and the boasting, Grevers and Alexandrov have become the soul of NU swimming and the faces of a rising program. And that’s good enough for Groseth.
“I think that my definition of being a leader is someone who raises the expectations,” Groseth said. “I don’t think that anyone would describe these guys as leaders in the traditional way. But these guys step it up in the big stage, and that’s the way they lead.”
Reach Ben Larrison at [email protected].
