Matt Grevers
Contemporary Era:
2012 Inductee
A four-time NCAA champion, 19-time Big Ten champion and 27-time All-American, Matt 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 Ryan Lochte of Florida 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.
Following graduation, Grevers went on to become the most decorated Olympian in school history. He won an individual silver medal in the 100 backstroke and two relay golds with Team USA at the 2008 Beijing Games. In preparation for the 2012 London Olympics, Grevers swam the second-fastest 100 backstroke time in history to win the U.S. Olympic Trials, then won gold in the event in London. He added relay gold and silver in 2012 to bring his career medal haul to four gold and two silver. In December of 2012, Grevers added an individual World Short Course Championships gold medal to his collection with a win in the 100 backstroke.
