Athlete of the Week: Nick Wilkins ’22
by The Spectator Sports Editors
Nick Wilkins ’22 is a sophomore on the men’s swimming and diving team. Wilkins led the way this past weekend while Hamilton was competing in the 2020 NESCAC Championships. Wilkins finished third in the 200-yard breaststroke consolation final with a time of 2:06.80. This was Wilkins’s personal best time and placing him third on Hamilton’s all-time list. Wilkins also posted a 100-yard freestyle split time of 46.84 seconds when he led off in the 400-yard freestyle relay.
Hometown:
Sudbury, M.A.
Strokes:
Breaststroker/IMer.
Favorite Professional Athlete:
Caeleb Dressel.
How did you get introduced to swimming?
I started swimming in 3rd grade on my town’s recreational team because my parents wanted me and my brothers to have something to do with our free time as well as our excessive amount of energy. I then took up club swimming during my freshman year of high school because I grew to love the competitive nature of the sport.
What is your favorite thing to do on campus besides your sport?
I love going to watch other sports teams compete on campus particularly when it’s against other NESCAC teams.
What has been your favorite sports moment at Hamilton?
It is always fun to watch people break personal records and meet their season goals at NESCAC Championships. We work so hard throughout the season — it is awesome to see that work pay off.
What attracted you to Hamilton’s swim and dive program?
Meeting the team on my recruiting trip as well as talking with Coach John convinced me that Hamilton Swimming and Diving was the right program for me. Coach John, as well as all of the athletes on the team, is ready to build this program from the ground up. We are excited to climb the ranks of the NESCAC and I wanted to be a part of that process.
What is the toughest obstacle you have had to ovecome in your athletic career?
Swimming is a massively mental sport and regardless of how prepared you feel for a championship meet you can always get into your own head which can cause you to lose focus and fall apart while you are standing behind the blocks. Last year at NESCACs, I put too much pressure on a couple of my main races which caused me to tense up on the blocks and in the water and miss my goal times. I have learned that no matter how important a race may be, you need to stay relaxed and loose or you will fall apart in the water.
What are you most looking forward to next season?
I am looking forward to having an even stronger team next year that is ready to break more school records and continue to climb our way up the NESCAC rankings.
If you weren’t on the swim and dive team, what Hamilton sports team would you want to be on and why?
I have never been good at land sports, so I would have to choose the crew team.
