Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University rising junior men’s swimming student-athlete Marko Blazevski (Skopje, Macedonia) will represent his home country of Macedonia in the 2012 London Olympics. The Bulldog national champion will swim the 400 Individual Medley during the London games (July 27-August 12).
 
A total of 950 competitors will take part in 34 different events, with 32 taking place in the iconic Aquatics Centre. Two marathon swimming events will be held in Hyde Park. Blazevski is the first Wingate swimming student-athlete to qualify for the Olympics.

“The coaching staff is obviously very excited about Marko making it to London,” Wingate head coach Kirk Sanocki says. “I don’t believe there is a greater honor for any athlete than representing his/her country in the Olympic Games.”
 
At the 2012 NCAA Division II national championship meet, Blazevski defended his national title in the 400 Individual Medley. He was the Bluegrass Mountain Conference champion in the same event. In the NCAA meet, Blazevski was an All-American in four events (400 IM, 800 Free Relay, 1650 Free and 500 Free). He was an honorable mention All-American in the 1000 Freestyle.
 
In February, the Blazevski and the Bulldogs won their fifth consecutive BMC championship title at the Mecklenburg County Aquatics Center (MCAC) pool in downtown Charlotte. Blazevski won the 400 IM at the 2012 BMC meet. He was All-BMC in four events (500 Free, 200 Fly, 800 Free Relay and 400 IM).
 
The 2012 J. Howard Williams Award winner for male athlete of the year at Wingate, Blazevski is a Capital One Academic All-District III honoree. He has a 3.84 GPA as a Finance major. This spring, Blazevski volunteered with Wingate’s award-winning Special Olympics swimming venue.
 
“The Wingate Swimming family is swelling with pride over Marko’s hard work and determination…allowing him to make it to London,” Sanocki says. “Watching the games has always been something the world swimming community greatly anticipates. Whatever his result…in our hearts, Marko will be the gold medalist for what he’s accomplished thus far in his swimming career. Hopefully, this experience will drive him to make the games four years from now as well.”
 
Swimming was one of the highlights of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Twenty-one world records were broken, with American Michael Phelps setting the world record for the number of medals won at a single Olympic Games.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a comprehensive university with more than 2,500 students on three campuses in Wingate, Matthews and Hendersonville, N.C. The university offers 34 undergraduate majors, 37 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, graduate degrees in business, accounting, physician assistant studies and sports administration and doctorates in pharmacy and education.
 
Wingate students gain the tools and support they need to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. The campus community offers in-class learning, out-of-class experiences, strong mentors, a competitive yet caring environment and rewarding community service opportunities for a complete educational experience.
 
Bulldog student-athletes compete in 19 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past six years.
 
Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 43 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 52 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.