Gator Swimming Continues Record-Setting Week with Multiple Awards
Thursday, February 3, 2011 | Women's Swimming & Diving
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida swimming and diving team became just the second school in Southeastern Conference history to sweep all four weekly swimming honors, the SEC announced. In addition, senior captain Conor Dwyer (Winnetka, Ill.) was named the Counsilman-Hunsaker National Collegiate Male Swimmer of the Week for the week of Jan. 25-31, 2011, announced Wednesday by CollegeSwimming.com.
On top of the national award, Dwyer was named SEC Male Swimmer of the Week for a record fifth time this season, while freshman Elizabeth Beisel (North Kingstown, R.I.) earned SEC Female Swimmer of the Week honors for a record fourth time this year. Recent newcomers Marcin Cieslak (Warsaw, Poland) and Hilda Luthersdottir (Hafnarfjordur, Iceland) joined Dwyer and Beisel in the weekly honors, earning SEC Male and Female Freshman of the Week, respectively.
Florida joins Georgia (Dec. 8, 2009) as the only two schools in SEC history to sweep the weekly swimming honors since the inception of the SEC Freshman of the Week Award in 2008. Dwyer is the only swimmer in conference history to win the award five times in the same season, while joining current Auburn swimmer Adam Brown as the only two swimmers to win the award five times overall. Just a freshman, Beisel becomes the first swimmer in SEC history to win Female Swimmer of the Week four times in the same season, and joins former Arkansas swimmer Yi-Ting Siow for second-most all-time (Agustina de Giovanni, Alabama – 6).
Dwyer earned SEC and national honors after swimming the fastest time in the NCAA this season in the men's 400-yard individual medley (3:44.73) on his own Senior Day vs. Tennessee on Jan. 29. The personal-best time was the eighth-fastest time in school history. Later in the day, the U.S. National Team member swam a season-best 1:34.33 in the 200-yard freestyle, the fourth-fastest time in the NCAA this year and fastest in the SEC in 2010-11. Also against Tennessee, the 2010 NCAA Male Swimmer of the Year was part of a UF season-best tying 1:28.84 in the men's 200-yard medley relay. Dwyer's three wins helped lead UF to the most lopsided win over UT in school history, while being the most points scored by the Gator men and the largest margin of victory in a one-day dual meet since a 208-88 conquest over Florida Atlantic on Jan. 26, 2001.
One day later against Indian River State College, the Illinois native swam a personal-best 15:05.97 in the men's 1,650 free, the 11th-fastest time in the NCAA this season (third in the SEC). In the men's 200-yard freestyle relay, Dwyer finished his leg with a 19.89 split, helping UF to their fastest time of the season in the event (1:20.26; second in SEC, 14th in NCAA).
Beisel picked up her award after a notching a collegiate-best time in the 1,000 free in Sunday's win over Indian River State College, with the time of 9:48.58 marking the eighth-fastest time in the NCAA this season in the event (third in the SEC). Against the Lady Vols this past Saturday, the recently named 2010 Rhode Island Female Athlete of the Year was part of three first-place times in the win over the No. 10 Tennessee, helping UF improve to a perfect 25-0 all-time against the women of Tennessee. The Rhode Island native's time in the 200 back and 400 IM were both NCAA provisional marks. The 200 back race was the freshman's sixth NCAA “B” cut of the season in the event, while the 400 IM marked her third NCAA cut of the season in the event.
Registering his first award in the Orange and Blue, Cieslak swept both butterfly events with personal-best NCAA qualifying marks that registered as UF season-best times vs. No. 8 Tennessee. The Polish newcomer's time in the 200 fly (1:45.45) was the fastest by a freshman in the NCAA this season (11th overall, third in the SEC). Cieslak's 100- fly time (47.84) was the second-fastest time in the SEC this year, 19th quickest in the NCAA in 2010-11 and fourth-fastest by an NCAA freshman this season. Cieslak finished fourth in the 400 IM in a personal-best 3:54.29, the third-fastest time by a SEC freshman this year. The freshman joined Dwyer as part of UF's season-best tying 200 medley relay team (22.19 fly split).
Picking up her first collegiate honor was Luthersdottir, who entered the UF record books after this past weekend. Luthersdottir's 1:01.29 in the women's 100-yard breaststroke vs. Tennessee was a personal best and UF season-best time, while being the third-quickest time in UF history and the third-fastest time by a freshman in the NCAA this season (26th overall, fifth in SEC, first by SEC freshman). The Iceland native's time in the 200 breast (2:13.64) was also a personal best and UF season-best time, while being the sixth-quickest time in school history in the event, and ninth-fastest by a freshman in the NCAA this year (second fastest by SEC freshman this season, sixth overall in SEC). Luthersdottir teamed up with three other UF women to swim the 200 medley relay with a UF season-best NCAA provisional mark of 1:39.53. The time was the second-fastest by a SEC school this year and the 10th-fastest in the NCAA this season.
The quartet of Gators return to the pool at the 2011 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships, which Florida hosts for the first time since 2005. The swimming portion will take place at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center Feb. 16-19. For the latest in Florida swimming and diving, fans are also encouraged to follow the program on Twitter and Facebook.
FLORIDA'S NATIONAL & SEC WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
MEN
Oct. 12 – Conor Dwyer, Swimming: SEC Male Swimmer of the Week
Nov. 2 – Conor Dwyer, Swimming: SEC Male Swimmer of the Week
Nov. 3 – Conor Dwyer, Swimming: National Collegiate Male Swimmer of the Week
Nov. 23 – Conor Dwyer, Swimming: SEC Male Swimmer of the Week
Jan. 11 – Conor Dwyer, Swimming: SEC Male Swimmer of the Week
Jan. 18 – Connor Signorin, Swimming: SEC Male Freshman of the Week
Feb. 1 – Conor Dwyer, Swimming: SEC Male Swimmer of the Week
Feb. 1 – Marcin Cieslak, Swimming: SEC Male Freshman of the Week
Feb. 2 – Conor Dwyer, Swimming: National Collegiate Male Swimmer of the Week
WOMEN
Oct. 12 – Elizabeth Beisel, Swimming: SEC Female Swimmer of the Week
Oct. 12 – Monica Dodson, Diving: SEC Female Diver of the Week
Nov. 2 – Elizabeth Beisel, Swimming: SEC Female Freshman of the Week
Nov. 9 – Elizabeth Beisel, Swimming: SEC Female Swimmer of the Week
Nov. 10 – Elizabeth Beisel, Swimming: National Collegiate Female Swimmer of the Week
Nov. 23 – Elizabeth Beisel, Swimming: SEC Female Swimmer of the Week
Jan. 11 – Monica Dodson, Diving: SEC Female Diver of the Week
Feb. 1 – Elizabeth Beisel, Swimming: SEC Female Swimmer of the Week
Feb. 1 – Hilda Luthersdottir, Swimming: SEC Female Freshman of the Week
Most SEC Male Swimmer of the Week Awards All-Time
Conor Dwyer, Florida – 5*
Adam Brown, Auburn – 5
Ryan Lochte, Florida – 4
Cesar Cielo, Auburn – 4
* All in one season (SEC Record)
Most SEC Female Swimmer of the Week Awards All-Time
Agustina de Giovanni, Alabama – 6
Elizabeth Beisel, Florida – 4*
Yi-Ting Siow, Arkansas – 4
Laurabeth Guenthner, Florida – 3
Kelsey Floyd, Tennessee – 3
Allison Schmitt, Georgia – 3
Mary DeScenza, Georgia – 3
* All in one season (SEC Record, Most by Freshman in SEC History)
