Shelly Patton

Class: Freshman Hometown: Littleton, Colo. High School: Heritage

Height: 5-6 Event: Back/IM

2012-13: A breakout freshman for the Wildcats across all stroke disciplines who suffered an injury that required season-ending surgery over winter break ... Left the program after the season ... Still, appeared on Northwestern's top times list for the year in six different events ... Was NU's fastest in the 200 IM while ranking second in the 200 free, 100 back, 200 back and 400 IM, and third in the 100 breast ... Scored points in six different events at the Wildcats' own six-team TYR Invitational, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors on November 20 after the meet ... Won the 400 IM with an NCAA `B' provisional qualifying time of 4:18.08 that placed her eighth all-time at NU in that event ... Took second at the TYR in the 50 back and 200 back, where her 1:59.54 also put her eighth in Northwestern history in that event ... Was third at the TYR in the 100 breast with a 1:03.59, moving up to ninth on NU's all-time top times list in that race ... Won the TYR consolation finals of the 50 breast and the 200 IM at the TYR ... In that 200 IM race, swam a 2:10.04 in the prelims before crushing the `B' final field with a 2:02.48 at night ... Scored points at the seven-team Iowa Invitational (11/30-12/2) with a fifth-place finish in the 200 IM, moving up to seventh all-time at NU in the event with a prelim swim of 2:01.83 before touching in 2:02.00 in the finals ... Also scored with a 14th-place finish in the 100 back ... Won the Iowa Invite bonus final of the 200 back with a 2:00.62 ... Scored points in all nine of her dual-meet events of the fall ... Had a pair of wins against Big Ten foe Purdue (11/3), capturing the 200 back and 200 IM ... Also won the 100 free against UIC (11/2).

High School: Ranked as a five-star recruit by Swimming World Magazine... Five-time NISCA All-America swimmer ... Two-time Colorado 5A state runner-up in the 100 backstroke ... Helped Heritage to a fourth-place finish at the Colorado state championship meet ... Has competed in club swimming for 10 years with the University of Denver Hilltoppers ... 2010 Western Sectional SCY 200 IM champion ... 2010 U.S. Junior Nationals Finalist in the 200 IM ... 2012 Olympic Trials qualifier in the 200 IM ... Ranked No. 1 in her graduating class ... National Honor Society member ... Selected by All-League Honor Orchestra on the viola.

Personal:Born Michelle K Patton ... Daughter of Steve and Laurie Patton ... Chose Northwestern over Rice, Wisconsin and Notre Dame ... Plans to major in biology with a focus on neuroscience.

PATTON'S CAREER BESTS