Lakeville North senior Tim Mitchell would like to finish his high school swimming career taking the podium at the boys' state meet the first weekend of March.

Here is a closer look Mitchell:

The best movie I've seen in the last year? "Back to the Future." It's my favorite movie. I watch it at least once a month.

Three songs I never skip on my iPod are ... "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked" by Cage The Elephant; "Wait So Long" by Trampled By Turtles; "Dance Of The Manatee" by Fair To Midland. They are all very different, but they all get me pumped up for my races.

Three words or phrases my friends or teammates might use to describe me? Hilarious; dedicated; motivated.

How do you balance school and sports during the year? I have a study hall the first period of the school day, so any homework that I do not finish up the night before, I finish during this time.

How did you get started in swimming? By watching my older brothers swim. I'd go to their practices and be in the stands and they looked like they were having fun. So when I turned 7 -- the age we had to be to join the local club -- I stopped going to swim lessons and joined the swim team.

At my first varsity practice, I felt ... at home. I have had two brothers go through this team and have grown up with it. It just felt right to finally be a part of it.

What did you work on in the offseason? After the high school season, I take about a month off and then swim for the summer and fall with Black Dog Swim Club.

What is your most memorable moment as a high school athlete? Missing state cuts by 16-hundredths of a second as a freshman. That really motivated me to work harder over the next year.

What are your goals for the 2011-12 season? I want to be top eight in both of my individual events and in both of my relays. Last year I was top eight in one relay and one individual event and top 16 in the other two events. I would also want to achieve an All-American time on one of the relays.

What is your favorite meal prior to an event? A 6-inch Cold Cut Trio from Subway and a liter of Smart Water.

In 10 years, I hope I'm ... an engineer for a company that designs roller coasters or an engineer for an aerospace company.

When you have time off during vacation, what do you like to do? I love to travel. My mom works for the airlines so it is not unheard of for my family to take day trips.

Who is your favorite college or pro sports team and why? The Twins. Watching baseball games is one of my favorite things to do. There is nothing better than watching a Twins game at Target Field on a summer night.

Do you have a secret talent - and if so, what is it? I guess bowling could be considered my secret talent. I try to bowl once every week or two. I have had one 300 game.

What is the best sports advice you ever received? "Pain is temporary, pride is forever." My brother actually had this quote taped onto the wall so I would look at it every day.

RON HAGGSTROM