GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida 2014 NCAA champions Marcin Cieslak (Warsaw, Poland) and Hannah Rogers (Lake Wales, Fla.) are the 2014 Ben Hill Griffin Award winners for their overall contributions to the Gator athletics program and Gainesville community last year. The duo will be honored at the 2015 Hall of Fame Banquet in April.
Established by Gator Boosters, Inc., and the University of Florida Athletic Association, the award honors the top male and female student-athlete at the University of Florida and is named after Ben Hill Griffin and his family, who have been long-time avid supporters and fans of Gator athletics. The Ben Hill Griffin award is based primarily on athletic achievement; academic achievement and extra-curricular involvement are also considered.
Cieslak made a splash in the pool for the Orange and Blue last season and throughout the span of his decorated Florida career as a 25-time All-American. The 2014 Southeastern Conference Male Swimmer of the Year and the 2014 NCAA Champion in the 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley, Cieslak helped guide the Florida men’s swimming and diving program to back-to-back SEC championships in 2013 and 2014.
On the softball diamond, Rogers was a force in the circle for the Orange and Blue as the program’s first four-time All-American. The righty was the 2014 Women’s College World Series Most Outstanding Player and the 2014 SEC Female Athlete of the Year. Rogers led the Florida softball program to the 2013 SEC Championship and capped of a stellar Gator career in 2014 with a National Championship, the program’s first national title.
While both Cieslak and Rogers made a tremendous impact in their respective areas of competition, both additionally left their mark on the University of Florida and Gainesville communities during their time donning the Orange and Blue.
Cieslak and Rogers will be honored with the Ben Hill Griffin Award at the 2015 Hall of Fame Banquet, to be held on Friday, April 10, in the Holloway Touchdown Terrace at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
CIESLAK 2014 HIGHLIGHTS
· 2014 SEC Male Swimmer of the Year
· Guided the Gators to the 2014 SEC Championship, their second consecutive
· Was the High Point Award winner at the NCAA Championships with 57 individual points (NCAA titles in the 200 IM and 100 butterfly and a second place finish in the 200 butterfly)
· His 25 All-American honors rank him third all-time in UF history
· Claimed UF’s 100 & 200 butterfly records
· Brought home Florida’s fourth ever 100 fly NCAA title after Associate Head Coach Anthony Nesty won the event from 1990-1992
· Captured UF’s seventh 200 individual medley championship with the third-fastest swim ever (1:40.58), which ranks behind Gators Bradley Ally and Ryan Lochte
· At the SEC Championships, Cieslak captured his seventh career SEC title in the 100 fly (45.69)
· Cieslak’s seven career SEC titles ranks him fourth in Florida’s storied history
· He also helped UF to SEC titles in both the 200 medley and 800 free relays
ROGERS 2014 HIGHLIGHTS
· 2014 SEC Female Athlete of the Year
· Top-10 finalist for 2014 Senior CLASS Award
· 2014 Women’s College World Series Most Outstanding Player
· 2014 NFCA All-America Third Team
· 2014 All-SEC Second Team
· 2014 SEC All-Defensive Team
· 2014 SEC Academic Honor Roll
· Four-time All-American (first in Florida softball history)
· Four-time All-SEC selection
· Three WCWS trips, two Championship Series appearances
· Will continue her career professionally with the USSSA Pride of the National Pro Fastpitch (2015)
· 2013 SEC Champion
· 2014 National Champion