by Rich Mies, CSN Mapping the MIAC Columnist

Without a doubt, a good work ethic is critical to the success of any athlete. This is particularly true in swimming, where the tiniest fraction of a second can be the difference between first and second place. It takes commitment to put in the long, grueling hours of practice and training that trim a swimmer’s times enough to elevate them to the top of their events. Nelson Westby has the type of work ethic and commitment that has helped him become a four-time NCAA champion as well as one of the best swimmers in the storied history of St. Olaf College.

Bob Hauck, the Oles’ coach and a national champion swimmer in his era, is cognizant of Nelson’s talents, but notes that it is his attitude and work ethic that sets him apart from his peers. “Without question, he is the inspirational leader of our team by his attitude and his work ethic,” Hauck stated. “I tend to coach from a swimmers’ perspective and one thing I told him a couple years ago was as an athlete I made sure I was confident that there was no one outworking me and I think he took that to heart. Over the past two seasons, there has been NOTHING that has escaped his attention toward becoming faster, stronger and more knowledgeable toward his training and racing. Virtually everything he does during the day - sleep, nutrition, study habits, social life, and training - is geared toward his commitment to his sport. Without question, there is NO ONE out working him. I see him for about three hours of training and then he is off to the weight room and to yoga and Pilates.”

Nelson’s determination to succeed has helped him capture the NCAA championship in the 200-yard IM three years in a row, along with the championship in the 200-yard breaststroke this year. All told, Nelson has been an All-American 19 times.

After graduation this spring, he will spend the next year swimming and training in preparation for the U.S. Swim Trials, where the teams that will represent the U.S. at the Pam American, World Championships and World University Games in 2010 will be chosen.

Ironically, Nelson came to swimming relatively late. “I swam about a month my freshman year of high school before breaking my arm,” he said. “Before that happened, I enjoyed what I was doing.”

Two years later, he spent a week at a swim camp at St. Olaf, run by coach Hauck and his father, Dave (The Haucks are St. Olaf’s co-coaches). That was when he began taking swimming more seriously. When he got home from camp, he joined the swim club and began training more intensely. Three years later, he was on the podium, receiving the gold medallion for his first national championship.

“It has been very rewarding watching his development,” stated Bob Hauck. “As a First Year, it became very clear that this person is not an average Division III swimmer or competitor. He came to the sport relatively late, so his first year opened his eyes to the potential he had. His sophomore year he continued to improve at a high rate but put a lot of pressure on himself to be the best.

He expected it from himself for the first time and he had to both deal with and overcome that feeling. I kept telling him, ‘You haven’t done anything yet, so there’s no need to feel these expectations. Go out and do it and then we’ll go from there.’ At the NCAAs, he won the 200 IM and was in the top-3 in his other events and that really set the tone for him. That pressure vanished.”

Nelson was born in Minneapolis, but the family moved to Salem, OR when he was seven. “Most of my dad’s family is still in the Minneapolis area, as is my mom’s,” stated Nelson. “My dad swam in high school and attended St. Olaf but was not on the swim team here. My sister, Maren, is a first-year at St. Olaf and runs cross country and track. My brother, Swan, is a sophomore in high school and is on the swim team.”

He attended West Salem High, which opened in Nelson’s sophomore year. “I went to South High my freshman year and then was assigned to West when it opened,” he explained. Nelson was on the lacrosse team his sophomore year and played water polo as a junior and senior as well as participating in swimming. “I tried lacrosse for a year, but decided to focus on swimming,” he said. “Our water polo program was something new my junior year. I thought it would be fun. We went through the typical growing pains of a new program, but it was a lot of fun.”

After an abbreviated swim season at South in his freshman year, Nelson joined the team at West. He primarily swam the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly. Despite not making the State Meet, the season was crucial to Nelson’s future. “I decided I wanted to do something special,” he recalled. “I knew I had the potential and I finally started training hard.”

The week Nelson spent at the Haucks’ camp helped him realize he had the potential to become a great swimmer and inspired him. When he returned home, he joined the swim club in nearby Medford, and began training in earnest.

He saw early rewards for his new dedication, as he finished third in the state in the 100 breaststroke his junior year. He won the state championship in the 100 breaststroke his senior year and finished second in the 200-yard IM.

After his senior season, Nelson qualified for the Junior Nationals and made the finals in the 50-yard breaststroke, the 100 breaststroke and the 200 IM.

Out of the pool, Nelson played the baritone in the band for four years and was section leader. He was in the marching band and took tap dance lessons. Nelson also was a member of the National Honor Society and was elected Homecoming King.

While he was recruited by several schools, Nelson never really paid attention to it, as he had made up his mind that he would attend St. Olaf. “Going to camp was enough to convince me that St. Olaf was the right place,” he said. “My dad’s input helped, too, but seeing the campus and meeting people sold me on it.”

Nelson has had a major impact on the Ole program since his first season. He was a seven-time All-MIAC performer that first season, taking first in the 100-yard butterfly and second in the 100 breaststroke and 200 IM. He also was part of four St. Olaf relay teams that finished in the top three at the MIAC Championships. At the NCAA Division III Championships, he earned his first two All-American honors, finishing fourth in the 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke.

As a sophomore, Nelson was the MIAC champ in the 200 IM, breaking the school, meet and overall conference record with a time of 1:50.96. He also took first place in the 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke. Nelson swam a leg on the 400-yard medley relay team that took first, breaking the school, meet and overall conference record, and was on three other Ole relay teams that earned All- MIAC honors. At the NCAA Meet, he recorded his first national title, taking the top spot in the 200 IM. He also garnered All-American honors for a fourth place finish in the 100 butterfly and a fifth place showing in the 100 breaststroke. Nelson also swam on two relay teams that earned All-American distinction and two that received honorable mention.

In his junior year, Nelson broke the school, meet and MIAC record in the 100 breaststroke, taking first place at the conference meet. He added a first-place showing in the 100 butterfly and a second-place finish in the 200 IM, as well as All-MIAC honors in three relays. He repeated as NCAA champion in the 200 IM, and finished second in the 100 breaststroke and third in the 200 breaststroke. Nelson also earned All-American honors as part of the 400 medley relay team and honorable mention on two other relays.

This year, he dominated the MIAC Meet, sweeping the breaststroke events and swimming on the three record-breaking relay teams (200 freestyle, 200 medley, and 400 medley). Nelson broke the conference and meet record in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:01.44 and he won the 100 breaststroke for the third consecutive year breaking his own conference and meet records with a time of 55.33. He was named MIAC Swimmer of the Year.

His season was only warming up at that point. At the NCAA Championships, he won the 200 IM for the third consecutive year, edging out teammate Jake Koch. He also captured the 200 breaststroke championship, and finished second by 0.21 seconds in the 100 breaststroke.

He swam on the Ole 200 medley relay team that finished second, shattering the school record. He garnered All-American honors as part of the 800-yard freestyle relay team that placed seventh, and he received All-American honorable mention as part of the 20-yard freestyle relay team.

Nelson leaves St. Olaf with his name throughout the school and conference record books. He holds school records in the 100 butterfly, 200 IM, 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke as well as being part of the record-holding relay teams in 200 freestyle, 200 medley and 400 medley. Nelson holds the conference meet and overall record in the 100 breaststroke. He is the owner of MIAC all-time records in the 200 breaststroke and 200 IM, and is part of relay teams that hold conference and MIAC Meet records in the 200 medley and 400 medley.

Away from swimming, Nelson is a member of Alpha Phi Omega, a service fraternity that does volunteer work on campus and in the community. “We do roadside cleanup and help at the Humane Society, as well as a number of activities on campus,” he said. “This year, I am living in an honors house with other APO members. We have a community service project we call ‘More Than a Game’ where we mentor area kids at risk. It’s an after-school program where we play sports and just hang out with these kids, and try to offer them positive role models.”

Nelson has been active in the St. Olaf Student Athletic Advisory Board for two years. The group looks out for the well-being of student-athletes on campus, promotes support of Ole athletics and encourages attendance at home games and events.

He is majoring in Russian Area, a program that combines language and culture, and History. He sports a 3.20 GPA and will graduate this spring. He might attend graduate school, but that will wait until he is done with swimming.

For at least the next year, he will focus on his sport, training with some of the top U.S. swimmers in hopes of securing a spot on the U.S. team for one of the three major events coming up in 2010. A good showing there could put him in contention for a spot at the 2012 London Olympiad.

His mark on St. Olaf is indelible. “Nelson Westby has meant everything to our program over the last four years,” stated Hauck. “As a swimmer and a leader, Nelson is supportive, encouraging and provides THE example. He is the backbone of the team. For me he is a person who shows extraordinary desire and commitment to swimming. He is honest and humble, but he is confident. He has more passion for swimming than anyone I have met. He is inspiring to all of us and I try to cherish every day because I won’t have this type of swimmer again.”

[The photos are used courtesy of the St. Olaf College Sports Information Office.]

The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) is widely respected as one of the premier conferences in nearly every sport competed in Division III. Year after year, the MIAC produces teams and individual student-athletes who excel in their given sport. At the same time, the MIAC schools maintain a reputation of commitment to academic excellence. This article is one in a series of spotlights on some of the young men and women who represent the league’s commitment to excellence, both in the classroom and athletics during the 2008-09 academic year.

This feature will be included in the “Profiles of Excellence 2008-2009″ book which will be available for order at RDM Publishing. It will feature profiles of student-athletes from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, written by CSN’s “Mapping the MIAC” columnist Rich Mies.