Contact: Emily Zadny, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, 630-637-5302
(Written by Julie Laugel, Student Sports Information Assistant)
 
Jan. 24, 2018 - Similar to many young athletes, freshman North Central College men's swimmer Nick Mielke participated in many different sports. He tried baseball and soccer, but enjoyed swimming the most.  His swimming interest sparked from his parents wanting him to learn how to swim and while learning the basics of swimming, Mielke discovered he wanted to pursue more advanced lessons and eventually swim competitively.
 
Growing up in Minnesota, Mielke was homeschooled, which meant his development as a swimmer was a little different than most. He relied on his family and love for swimming to help guide him through his decisions.
 
At home, Mielke did not have his own pool to practice in but the local high school would let him practice at their facility. Since he was homeschooled, Mielke also was only able to compete on club teams and did not get the experience of swimming on a school team until he came to North Central, which was an enlightening experience.
 
"The team experience at college is so much different than at club," Mielke said, "At a club you get a lot less of the team environment. Especially because in college, you're going to school with these people or even rooming with these people, so it's a lot more intimate than club."
 
Family was a big influence in Mielke's life. His mother, a former professional ballerina, hung up her ballet shoes to homeschool Mielke and his older brother Matthew, who is a senior here at North Central.
 
Matthew ultimately played a significant role in his life both athletically and academically. From Matthew's involvement in competitive swimming to being a biochemistry major, it is no surprise that as his younger brother, Nick has followed in his footsteps.
 
"I probably would not be a chemistry major if it weren't for him," stated Mielke. 
 
When the time came to decide where to further his education, Mielke deliberated between College of DuPage and North Central College.
 
After moving to Lisle, Illinois, Mielke started coming to North Central to practice swimming when he was 15 years old. Being familiar with the campus and the added bonus of his brother already attending, he ultimately made the decision to come to North Central.
Transitioning to college was a major change to the former homeschooler.
 
"My first classroom experience was here," Mielke said, "It was shocking at first, but you kind of just get used to it. I started off slow--only taking a few classes-- and I just kind of eased into it."
 
Along with his first classroom experience, Mielke had to get acclimated to living in the dorms.
"When I started living here on campus I was like, 'oh, I'll probably go to more morning practices,' but that didn't work out," said Mielke, "but it's a lot more convenient than commuting."
 
For the men's swimming and diving team, Mielke participates in five core events, although the 100-meter breaststroke is his favorite because it is the one he excels at the most. His teammates and coaches keep him motivated. In particular, he is motivated by the positive energy that Assistant Coach Landon brings to the team.
 
"His title is 'assistant coach,' but he's way more like a teammate that drives the van," Mielke said.
 
When Mielke isn't in the pool, he's either playing video games or studying. Specifically, Mielke studies organic chemistry and does research of the radical halogenation of chloroalkanes and bromoalkanes to test the reactions and find ways to control and predict the outcomes. Mielke hopes to get a job in the industry side of research and development with the knowledge and experience he will gain during the next four years.
 
Mielke and the rest of the North Central men's swimming and diving team head out to Bloomington, Ill. on Friday, January 26, to compete against Illinois Wesleyan University and Millikin University. Meet start time is set for 6 p.m.