Athlete of the Week: Michael Im

Senior Michael Im of the Harvard men's swimming team is on the brink of exploding into the NCAA finals.

Just halfway through the season, Im has already proven his authority not only within the Eastern Conference, but also nationwide.

The senior finished first in the 200-meter backstroke and fourth in the 100-meter back at the University of Texas Invitational, running down competitors from such top-ranked teams as Arizona, California-Berkeley and Texas en route to clocking two personal-best times.

Im was the Crimson's sole event-winner at the Invitational, which was held Dec. 1-3. Im took the 200-meter back in 1:44.43. His time was just .19 seconds away from the school record set by Tom Peterson in 1992.

"Basically, he's already blown his past seasons out of the water," co-captain Mike Groves said. "That swim was just incredible. We were all cheering for him on the sides and we just knew it was going to be amazing."

In addition, Im touched the wall more than a second before his nearest competitor, Nate Dusing of No. 1 Texas. Dusing had previously been ranked second in a College Swimming Coaches Association national poll of the event.

Im's time--his best by three seconds--was just 0.05 seconds away from an NCAA standard that would have automatically qualified him for the championship meet in March. However, because only four or five collegiate swimmers will likely attain that standard prior to the meet, Im has essentially secured himself a spot at NCAAs.

"Texas was an awesome opportunity for us to showcase our skills at a national-level meet," Im said. "Going into the meet, we knew we wanted to race the big programs that were there, and let everyone know that Harvard swimming belongs among the top-ten teams in the nation."

Im's top performances in the water have also contributed to the team's positive outlook on the season as a whole.

"As a senior, I think he's definitely been a huge contribution to the team in terms of leadership as well as enthusiasm," Groves said. "I think people were excited that they could make the same kind of [time] drops."

Among Im's credentials are his participation in the 100- and 200-meter backstroke events at the Olympic Trials this past summers and his numerous All-Ivy Honors titles. The Kalamazoo, Mich.-native was also a state record-holder in high school and an All-American in the 100-yard backstroke.

As momentous as his accomplishments may be on an individual level, however, Im remains focused on the Crimson's goals as a team.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what the team can do in 2001," Im said. "All indications show that we're ready to blow up in the second half of the season and continue what we've already started."