Nicholas Thomas Nerich

1912 Stockholm Olympics At the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, he competed in the semifinals of the men's 400-meter freestyle finishing seventh with a time of 5:51.0, the first American to complete the event. He also competed in the quarter-finals of the men's 100-meter freestyle tying for tenth with a time of 1:08.8. He was also reputed to hold the half mile swimming championship by 1915. On February 7, 1914, he successfully defended his Metropolitan title in the 220-yard freestyle, swimming a 2:33.8 to take first place, finishing ahead of Joseph Wheatly by around six yards.

Nerich married Catherine F. Egan Nerich in 1914. She predeceased him in 1943.

He died in Astoria, Queens on February 7, 1957, and was buried at Mount Saint Mary Cemetery in Flushing, Queens. He was survived by around five children and twenty grandchildren. A Mass was held at St. Dominics Catholic Church on the morning of Monday, February 11.