kalmikovs accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the university of nebraska in lincoln, nebraska, where he competed for the nebraska cornhuskers swimming and diving team under head coach cal bentz. while swimming for the cornhuskers, kalmikovs received a total of nine all-american honors, captured three big 12 conference titles, and held four school records in the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke. at the 2000 ncaa men's swimming and diving championships, during his junior year, kalmikovs posted a sixth-fastest time of 2:10.64 in the 200-yard breaststroke, where ed moses set a new world record. in his senior season, kalmikovs served as an assistant volunteer coach for the team before he graduated from the university in 2001 with a bachelor of arts degree in international affairs.