Press Release Courtesy of FGCU Athletics: @FGCU_WSwim Gears Up For Quad Meet Featuring #29 FSU
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Following its West Coast swing two weeks ago, the FGCU swimming & diving team (5-2, 1-0 CCSA) returns to competition by hosting 29 FSU (1-0), Florida Southern (2-1) and West Florida (2-2) at the FGCU Aquatics Center this weekend. The two-day quad meet is scheduled to begin Friday at 5 p.m. and continue Saturday at 10 a.m.
Ranked 29 in the latest CollegeSwimming.com poll, the Seminoles represent the Eagles’ sixth ranked opponent this season. FGCU also competed against 9 Florida at the All Florida Invitational, 18 Ohio State and 20 LSU at the FGCU Classic, and 4 USC as well as 19 UCLA in its latest road trip to Los Angeles.
This weekend not only marks the 10th straight season the Seminoles and Eagles have competed, but also signals the return of former head coach Neal Studd, who took the same job at FSU this past summer. FSU holds an advantage in the all-time series with FGCU, but the Eagles have won each of the last two duals by a margin of 186-148 in 2014 and 220.5-132.5 in 2015.
“Anytime you face a rival, whether it’s in state, conference or regional, you get a little bit more pumped up,” said FGCU head coach Dave Rollins. “When the rival has your teams’ former coach, you get really pumped up. The girls are ready and excited for this weekend, and we’re ready to defend the nest.”
SEASON OVERVIEW
After going 4-2 against a crop of West Coast competition two weeks ago, the Green and Blue pushed its dual-meet record this season to 5-2. Going toe-to-toe with 4 USC, who represented FGCU’s highest-ranked opponent in program history, the Eagles turned in a pair of legitimate wins in the 400 free relay and 1-meter diving while also finishing first in a pair of other events the Trojans swam as exhibitions. The following day, FGCU capped off the weekend by defeating four of its five opponents with wins against defending Mountain Pacific Sports Federation champion UC Davis, San Diego, UC Santa Barbara and Oregon State to go along with a loss to 19 UCLA.
Prior to its dual season, the Green and Blue finished third at the All-Florida Invitational and fourth at the high-profile FGCU Classic, which included three women’s teams – Ohio State, Virginia Tech and LSU – that finished in the top-27 at the 2016 NCAA Championships.
Sophomores Christina Kaas Elmgreen (Charlottenlund, Denmark/Ordrup Gymnasium), who clocked the Eagles’ lone NCAA ‘B’ cut with a time of 1:59.22 in the 200 fly at the FGCU Classic, Katie Latham (Deal, Kent, UK/Sir Roger Manwood’s School) and freshman Elizabeth Zeiger (Cumberland, R.I./Homeschool) have all earned CCSA Swimmer of the Week honors this season, while Ashley Wright (Port St. Lucie, Fla./Indian River CC/Lincoln Park Academy) has earned CCSA Diver of the Week honors on a pair of occasions after most recently surpassing the NCAA Zone Diving Standard in the 1-meter dive against the Bruins.
Kaas Elmgreen’s time in the 200 fly currently ranks as the 16th-fastest in the country, while the Eagles also hold the 13th-fastest 400 free relay (3:23.28) and 16th-best 200 free relay (1:32.17) in the NCAA this season.
THE OPPONENTS
FSU enters this weekend’s meet with a 1-0 record after turning in a 157-143 win against Florida Oct. 13 in Tallahassee. The Seminole women won a total of eight events en route to their win against the Gators. Additionally, Florida Southern comes to the FGCU Aquatics Center with a 2-1 record, including wins against Florida Tech and Keiser, while West Florida is 2-2 after beginning its season against a pair of SEC foes in Alabama and Vanderbilt.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Friday at 5 p.m.
| Events | FGCU Season-Best Times |
| 200 medley relay | Teijonsalo, Leter, Redding, Latham – 1:42.56 |
| 400 IM | Elizabeth Zeiger – 4:21.04 |
| 200 free | Hannah Burdge – 1:51.21 |
| 50 free | Katie Latham – 23.21 |
| 200 fly | Christina Kaas Elmgreen – 1:59.22 (NCAA ‘B’) |
| 200 back | Barbara Caraballo – 2:01.23 |
| 500 free | Elizabeth Zeiger – 4:57.16 |
| 200 breast | Vanessa Rivas – 2:22.58 |
| 400 free relay | Burdge, Teijonsalo, Latham, Redding – 3:23.28 |
Saturday at 10 a.m.
| Events | FGCU Season-Best Times |
| 400 medley relay | Teijonsalo, Leter, Kaas Elmgreen, Latham – 3:44.86 |
| 200 IM | Barbara Caraballo – 2:03.52 |
| 1000 free | Elizabeth Zeiger – 10:09.92 |
| 100 fly | Christina Kaas Elmgreen – 55.65 |
| 100 free | Katie Latham – 50.79 |
| 100 back | Fanny Teijonsalo – 56.17 |
| 100 breast | Evita Leter – 1:04.61 |
| 200 free relay | Latham, Teijonsalo, Redding, Burdge – 1:32.17 |
FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-date coverage of FGCU women’s swimming and diving, follow us on Twitter @FGCU_WSWIM and visit www.FGCUAthletics.com where full recaps and results will be available.
HEAD COACH DAVE ROLLINS
First-year head coach Dave Rollins became the program’s second head coach in program history on Sept. 1. Most recently the associate head men’s swimming coach at The Ohio State University, Rollins brings 10 years of coaching experience at the club, high school and collegiate levels. A standout collegiate athlete in his own right, Rollins was a nine-time NCAA All-American and national champion as a member of the University of Arizona swimming & diving team from 2002-06.
SUPPORT THE CAUSE
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics’ charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
Correction – Florida beat FSU, not the other way around… nice try