James Wike graduated from Sterling High School in 2002. While in high school James excelled in swimming. Simply put, he is the best swimmer in the history of Sterling High School. His swimming career spanning the years 1999-2002 includes many outstanding accomplishments. James was a three-time state champion in the 100-yard backstroke (2000, 2001, 2002). He broke the state record in the 100 backstroke in 2001 with a time of :49.38, becoming the first swimmer in Illinois history to break the :50 second mark. As a freshman he placed second in the state in the 100 backstroke and eighth in the 200-yard individual medley. In 2000 he placed second in the state in the 200-yard individual medley and in 2001 he placed third in the same event. James won state in the 200-yard individual medley in 2002 and broke over 60 records at home and away during individual meets. He was sectional champion four consecutive years in both the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard backstroke, was a member of both the 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay that qualified for state in 2001 and 2002.James other accomplishments include team captain for four years, Best Freshman Award winner in 1999, recognized at the Illinois Swim Association State banquet for 1999-2002, awarded Illinois Swim Association Swimmer of the Year in 2002, and was awarded the key to the city by Mayor Ted Aggen in 2002. He is the only three-times state champion in the history of Sterling High School athletics. James also was named the Roscoe Eades Award as the top male senior athlete at Sterling High School in 2002. James continued his swimming career at Auburn University where he became the captain of the team and was a two-time SEC swimmer of the week. His Auburn team won the SEC Championship in 2006 and 2007. He was a three-time SEC individual champion and was First Team All SEC in 2006 and 2007. He was a member of the 2006 and 2007 NCAA Team Champions. In the 2006 NCAA Championships he finished second in the 200 and 400 medley relays, fourth in the 200 individual medley, and eighth in the 200 backstroke. In the 2007 NCAA Championships he finished fifth in the 100 backstroke, sixth in the 200 backstroke, eighth in the 200 individual medley, and swam pre-lims for the NCAA Champion and record setting 400 freestyle relay. He was a nine-time NCAA All-American. In his USA Swimming Career he finished near the top in many events-especially the 100 backstroke. He ranked in the top 25 in the world in 2006 and 2007 and finished in third place in the U.S. Open in 2006, and sixth place at the U.S. Nationals in 2007. With his top eight finish at the 2007 U.S. Nationals, he qualified for Team USA where he traveled to Chiba, Japan for the Japan International Grand Prix. He attended the U.S. Olympic trials in 2004 and picked up a fourth place finish in the 100-yard backstroke.