At first glance, one wouldn’t assume Eric Nilsson was an All-American swimmer. A quiet, well-spoken guy, Nilsson conveys none of the self-assured cockiness often attributed to successful athletes. But don’t let appearances fool you: He is a menace in the pool.
Nilsson, a junior, arrived at Northwestern as a highly touted recruit, winning the Boston Globe’s swimmer of the year twice and anchoring three state title teams. Nilsson, a three-time USA Scholastic All-American, said he chose NU because he liked its “blend of academics and athletics.”
Upon arrival at NU, he joined an up-and-coming team, led by then-juniors Matt Grevers and Mike Alexandrov. Nilsson fit right in. In addition to being named Second-Team All Big-Ten, he earned his first All-American honor and swam the Cats’ best times in the 500 free, 1,000 free and 1,650 free.
Nilsson built on that success the following year, winning 20 individual events, claiming two more All-American honors, and contributing to the Cats’ top-10 finish at the NCAA Championships. Nilsson attributes a competitive team atmosphere to his early success.
“It raised the feeling of everybody to have swimmers that good,” he said. “In training, we pushed each other, and seeing people swimming fast times in meets motivated everyone.”
Now with Grevers and Alexandrov gone, the team has looked to Nilsson to set the tone through his dedication.
“For the past three years Eric has been the hardest worker on the team,” coach Bob Groseth said. “Day in and day out he works harder than anyone on the team and does it in a way that inspires others to do their best.”
This year, the work has paid off. Nilsson has won an individual event in each of NU’s eight meets this year and has already qualified for the NCAA tournament in the 200 fly.
But he has also developed into an effective all-around swimmer. While his specialty is freestyle – he competes in the 50, 200, 500, 1,000, and 1,650 – he also swims the 200 butterfly as well as backstroke for the Cats’ 400 medley relay.
But with a younger team, Nilsson sees his role as being more of a guiding one.
“I guess I’m getting kind of old,” Nilsson said. “So I have to step up and help some of the younger guys, make sure I push them in practice.”
With another year left at NU, Nilsson still has a lot to accomplish – namely victories at the Big Ten and NCAA Championships. Still his focus remains on Saturday’s meet against Notre Dame at Norris Aquatic Center.
“I expect (Notre Dame) to come in pretty strong,” Nilsson said. “It’ll be a good opportunity for some of our young guys to step up and swim some good races. It should be a competitive meet.”
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