Entering the 2013-14 season, coach Gregg Troy has one of the most impressive Florida teams to date.
UF lost just two scoring swimmers from last year’s NCAA Championships, making for an easy transition.
Florida returns 11 All-Americans on the men’s team, including Olympians Marcin Cieslak and Sebastien Rousseau, senior Brad deBorde and juniors Dan Wallace and Eduardo Solaeche-Gomez.
With so much returning talent, the Gators are not only thinking about a repeat performance as Southeastern Conference champions — a feat Florida men’s swimming had not accomplished in 20 years prior to last season — but success at the NCAA Championships as well.
“They took big pride in winning that last year. I think that we may have a target on us at the moment,” Troy said.
“We fell a little short. We thought we should have been third at the NCAA meet last year.”
Troy reiterated those feelings for the women’s team, which duplicated the men’s sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2013.
The women’s team has firepower in two-time Olympian and All-American senior Elizabeth Beisel.
“[She] can swim everything,” Troy said. “She’s real easygoing, so she’s intense about her racing, but she’s kind of fun to be around at practice. She makes other people better.”
The women’s team is not as top heavy as the men’s. The women sport a strong sophomore class comprised of 12 swimmers, including five All-Americans.
“They improved tremendously and had good summer,” Troy said. “Natalie Hinds (and) Sinead Russell were fantastic.”
Troy also said senior Alicia Mathieu had a breakout summer.
The freshmen for both squads sport talent as well.
“We’ve got a freshmen class — six women and six men — that come in that we feel like can contribute right away,” Troy said.
Troy is excited about Andrea (Mitch) D’Arrigo, who he believes can come in and make an immediate impact.
“I feel like he can play,” Troy said.
Troy mentioned that as an international swimmer from Italy, D’Arrigo’s speed will have to translate from long-course meters to short-course yards, which Troy called “a little different animal.”
“There’s a lot of room to make up for mistakes in a 50-meter pool,” Troy said. “In a 25-yard pool, there’s a little less room for error.”
“So he’s going to have to improve in some of those areas, but certainly has the tools.”
Troy is looking forward to the first meet of the year, a three-day Pinch A Penny All Florida Invitational beginning on Sept. 27, but there is ultimately one thing on his mind.
“In our sport, the end of the year is what we’re looking at,” Troy said.
Follow Logan McGuire on Twitter @loganjmcguire.
Under coach Gregg Troy (above), Florida returns 11 All-Americans this season on the men’s team and two-time Olympian Elizabeth Beisel to the women.
