Past and Present Florida Swimmers Compete in Summer USA Swimming Event
Monday, July 11, 2011 | Men's Swimming & Diving
Six past and present Florida swimmers combined to win nine events this past weekend at the three-day 2011 USA Swimming Southern Zone Sectional Championships at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. In addition, one relay team representing former and current Gators captured a first-place finish. The meet took place in a long-course meter format.
US National Team member and 2011 SEC Female Freshman Swimmer of the Year, Elizabeth Beisel (North Kingstown, R.I.), was named the Women's High Point Winner. Beisel, who swam unattached for Gator Swim Club, captured a meet-high three individual titles with victories in the 100 back, 200 IM and 200 fly with times of 1:02.98, 2:14.90 and 2:12.65 respectively. With the help of Gator Swim Club members Ellese Zalewski (Melbourne, Australia) who clocked in at 1:03.34 to take second, and former Gator great and world record-holder in the event Gemma Spofforth (West Sussex, England), who nabbed third (1:03.72), University of Florida-trained swimmers were able to sweep the 100 back.
Alicia Mathieu (Marlborough, Conn.) also paced the women with two victories, winning the 1,500 (16:33.55) and 800 free (8:45.22). Swimming for Gator Swim Club, Angelina Ballatore (Gainesville, Fla.) took second in the 800 free to help put two UF swimmers on the podium.
Recent graduate Joey Pedraza (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) led all male swimmers with two victories in the 1500 (15:47.42) and 800 free (8:14.26), as a member of the Davie Nadadores Swim Team.
Olympic Gold Medalist and UF legend, Ryan Lochte (Daytona Beach, Fla.) of Daytona Beach Swimming took home the 200 IM title before leaving for the 2011 FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China. Lochte, the world champion and current world record-holder in the 200 IM, finished the event in 1:59.13. Former teammate and current training partner Conor Dwyer (Winnetka, Ill.) touched in at 1:59.53 to take second, while Marcin Cieslak (Warsaw, Poland) clocked in at 2:04.68 to have Gator-trained swimmers sweep the event. Other UF representative swimmers dominated the 200 IM, as Sebastien Rousseau (Cape Town, South Africa), Robert Kennedy (Ft. Myers, Fla.) and Connor Singorin (East Windsor, N.J.) finished in 2:06.68, 2:08.00 and 2:08.21 respectively, taking fourth through sixth place.
Kennedy finished the 200 breast in 2:21.06 to take home the title and capture another individual victory for UF swimmers. The 400 medley relay was won by brothers and former Gator All-Americans Brett Fraser (George Town, Cayman Islands) and Shaune Fraser (George Town, Cayman Islands) along with current Florida swimmers Cieslak and Rousseau.
