Lars Matkin knows his way around the water.

Matkin of the Class of 2012 is a swimmer on the Kenyon Lords swimming team that this year won its 30th consecutive NCAA men's championship. And he has worked as a commercial salmon fisherman during summer breaks in his native Alaska.

Matkin competes in the breaststroke at 200 and 100 yards, in the individual medley at 200 yards, and in breaststroke at 50 yards in the 200-yard medley relay."Being part of the team and working toward a common goal is huge," he said. "One thing I like about swimming is that it attracts people from all walks of life. In a way, almost anybody can do it, but it's really about the mental side.

"Being part of the team and working toward a common goal is huge."

"You can get there on talent and you can get there on grit," he added. "I'm kind of the worker who is trying to fit into his talent."

Matkin is the son of Craig Matkin and Olga von Ziegesar, who are both Alaska-based whale researchers. "To a young kid, it's exciting when you're following whales for eight hours, marking down behavioral things," Matkin said. "I grew up on the water." He has traveled the world with his parents and has been a frequent visitor to Hawaii. He learned Spanish during childhood visits to a family ranch in Nicaragua.

His summer job involves running a skiff attached to a quarter-mile net in which to capture salmon that have been farm-bred and released into the wild.

Matkin also grew up as an acquaintance of singer-songwriter Jewel, who is a family friend and former neighbor.

He was attracted to Kenyon because of its elite swimming reputation, its rural setting, and the challenge of being a student-athlete at a college that places a high priority on academics. He has not picked a major yet but is interested in biology and history.