GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Just five weeks into the 2010-11 University of Florida swimming and diving campaign, freshman swimmer Elizabeth Beisel (North Kingstown, R.I.) was named the Southeastern Conference Female Swimmer of the Week for the second time this season, announced by the league Tuesday. Beisel is the first Gator female swimmer since three-time All-American Laurabeth Guenthner (Wellington, Fla.) in 2008-09 to win the award twice in the same season.
“It’s well deserved,” head coach Gregg Troy said. “She swam extremely well on the West Coast and continues to train exceptionally hard. She’s a fantastic athlete.”
Beisel earned the honor after winning all four of her individual events with NCAA provisional times this weekend in Palo Alto, Calif. Against Stanford and Michigan in a double-dual meet, Beisel set the Avery Aquatics Center record in the 200-yard backstroke with a NCAA “B” cut time of 1:54.27, the fifth-fastest in school history. The time beat out Stanford’s Julia Smit’s 2008 record (1:55.66) by more than a second, while bettering her own nation-best time in 2010-11 by more than half a second.
The 2010-11 U.S. National Team member also swam the fastest time in the country by almost two seconds in the 400-yard individual medley, finishing with a NCAA provisional time of 4:08.53. The mark in the 400 IM was the sixth-fastest in school history. Four events later, Beisel captured the 500-yard freestyle by more than five seconds with a SEC-leading time of 4:46.34. The mark is currently the third-fastest time in the country. Her 200 IM time of 1:59.39 was just off her season-best 1:59.10 mark, which also ranks third in the country.
The award comes one week after Beisel was named SEC Female Freshman of the Week on Nov. 2 for the first time in her career, and four weeks after picking up her first SEC Female Swimmer of the Week accolade on Oct. 12. Beisel now has NCAA provisional times in eight different events this season, while winning a women’s team-leading 16 total events this season (14 individual events, two relays).
The Gator swimming and diving program now will have a two-week break from competition before returning to the pool, Nov. 19-21, as part of the annual Georgia Tech Invitational in Atlanta, Ga. Fans are encouraged to follow the swimming and diving program on Twitter or 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
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. 8 – Elizabeth Beisel, Swimming: SEC Female Swimmer of the Week
