Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
We inform. You decide.
Friday, June 20, 2025
<p>UF junior Elizabeth Beisel speaks to her teammates at the All Florida Invitational at the O'Connell Center in 2012. </p>

UF junior Elizabeth Beisel speaks to her teammates at the All Florida Invitational at the O'Connell Center in 2012. 

Elizabeth Beisel was named the Southeastern Conference Female Swimmer of the Week, the league announced Tuesday.

Beisel’s award came after she won three individual events against California on Saturday and Sunday, including beating four-time Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin in the 500-yard freestyle.

Florida’s women dropped the meet to Cal, losing multiple races by just fractions of a second.

“When we talk about competing, we tell our athletes, ‘You have to put yourself in position to do well in those races,’” assistant coach Anthony Nesty said.

While the women’s team suffered its first loss of the season, the Florida men’s team has looked dominant.

Currently 2-0 (1-0 SEC) in dual meets this fall, the men’s team is on the radar to win a national title thanks to strong performances from upperclassmen.

“I think the way the season progressed, if you look at (redshirt senior) Sebastien Rousseau’s performance throughout the season, he’s been on point all semester,” Nesty said.

Nesty credited Rousseau’s work ethic in practice and during the offseason, saying Rousseau is “the key to the success of the men so far.”

Nesty also praised Marcin Cieslak’s effort this year.

The senior has posted three top NCAA times this season in the 100- (47.36 seconds) and 200-yard butterfly (1:45.03), as well as the 200-yard individual medley (1:46).

As a team, Florida’s men own seven of the 22 event-best times this year, including junior Dan Wallace’s 500-yard free (4:23.09), the 200- (1:20.23) and 800-yard free relay (6:32.82), as well as the 400-yard medley relay (3:13.30), to go with Cieslak’s three event bests.

The UF men lead the NCAA in top times. Second is Michigan, which won the national title a season ago, with four.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox

The women’s team also has national-best times this season. Beisel owns top marks in the 500-yard free (4:45.09) and the 400-yard IM (4:09.54). Sophomore Natalie Hinds has the 100-yard fly (53.91 seconds), and UF’s 800-yard free relay (7:19.27) is almost three seconds ahead of second-best Georgia’s time.

Florida’s next meet will bring the defending women’s SEC and NCAA champion Georgia to Gainesville in a dual meet featuring both its men’s and women’s teams on Nov. 1.

Follow Logan McGuire on Twitter @loganjmcguire.

UF junior Elizabeth Beisel speaks to her teammates at the All Florida Invitational at the O'Connell Center in 2012. 

Support your local paper
Donate Today
The Independent Florida Alligator has been independent of the university since 1971, your donation today could help #SaveStudentNewsrooms. Please consider giving today.

Powered by SNworks Solutions by The State News
All Content © 2025 The Independent Florida Alligator and Campus Communications, Inc.