Matt Grevers to be Named First-Ballot Northwestern Hall of Famer Tomorrow

EVANSTON, Illinois, January 8. OLYMPIC gold medalist Matt Grevers will be named a first-ballot Hall of Famer tomorrow as part of the Northwestern University Athletics Hall of Fame. Student-athletes first become eligible for induction five years after graduation. Grevers is the 15th swimmer all time to be inducted.

A four-time NCAA champion, 19-time Big Ten champion and 27-time All-American, Grevers is the most decorated swimmer in the storied history of Northwestern men's swimming. His career in Evanston helped launch him to his current status as the world's best backstroke swimmer.

In 2005, Grevers became the first Wildcat since 1958 to win a national championship when he beat Florida's Ryan Lochte in the 100 backstroke at the NCAA meet. Grevers went on to win three individual NCAA titles during his career (becoming the first NU men's swimmer to do so since Al Schwartz in 1930) and a fourth national championship with Northwestern's NCAA-record-breaking 400 medley relay in 2007.

Grevers successfully defended his 100 backstroke NCAA title in 2006, then won the 200 backstroke in 2007 by becoming just the third swimmer in NCAA history to swim a sub-1:40 time in the event. His backstroke leg on the 400 medley relay that same year gave NU its first NCAA relay championship since 1932 and helped NU to a sixth-place national finish, the program's best in the modern era.

Winner of the 2006 Big Ten Swimmer of the Year award, Grevers graduated with three Big Ten Conference records, 11 Northwestern school records and 10 Norris Aquatics Center pool records.

Internationally, Grevers is a two-time Olympian with four Olympic gold medals, two on relay duty at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and two at the 2012 London Olympics with a victory in the 100-meter backstroke and as part of the 400-meter medley relay. He also has a pair of silvers from each meet as well, runner-up in the 100-meter back in 2008 and as part of the 400 free relay in London.

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