FOREST GROVE – Coming off back-to-back Northwest Conference dual meet victories over the weekend, the Pacific men's swim team saw one of its own honored with a Men's Swimming Student-Athlete Of The Week Award.
Michael Hargitt* (So., Oregon City, Ore.) won five individual events and had a hand in Pacific's victorious 400 Yard Individual Medley Relay as the Boxers defeated Willamette 119-66 on Friday and topped Linfield 111-94 on Saturday. The wins were the Boxers' first in NWC competition this season (2-4) and improved their overall dual meet record to 3-4 headed into the season's final dual against Lewis & Clark this Saturday.
An All-NWC swimmer and two-time winner of the conference's Student-Athlete Of The Week Award as a freshman in 2010-11, Hargitt won three individual events in Friday's dual at Willamette, taking first place in the 50 Freestyle (23.53), 200 Butterfly (2:11.88) and 200 Breaststroke (2:24.09). It was Hargitt's first run at the 50 Free and 200 Fly this season.
In Saturday's home meet against Linfield, Hargitt took first place in the 100 Breast (1:02.98) and 400 IM (4:26.31), while joining
Dylan Cramer (Jr., Caldwell, Idaho),
Kramer Ichimura (Fr., Mililani, Hawaii) and
Joel Cowley (Sr., Portland, Ore.) in the 200 Medley Relay, which recorded a first place time of 1:41.94.
The best may be yet to come for Hargitt, who is the current holder of four individual school records, including all three IM distances. Hargitt was also part of two school-record relay teams in 2011 when, as a freshman, he placed second at the NWC Championships in the 400 IM and third in the 200 IM and 200 Breast.
At November's Northwest Invitational Meet at McMinnville, featuring six of the eight NWC teams, Hargitt placed second in the 200 IM and third in the 400 IM and 200 Breast. He was the Outstanding Swimmer of the meet in 2010 after winning all three events.
“We are very excited for Michael,” said Pacific head swim coach
Alec Webster. “Since last year's conference he has put in a great year of training. While he is swimming well already, given rest he has the potential to be great.”
The award is the third of Hargitt's two-year Boxer tenure. Prior to joining Pacific, Hargitt was a district champion at Oregon City High School in 2009 and two-time placer in the OSAA 6A State Championships in the 200 IM. Hargitt also won a state championship in the 400 IM while competing for Gator Swim Club out of Canby, Ore.
A physical therapy major, Hargitt is considering career paths as a nutritionist or an emergency medical technician.
