FGCU’s Elmgreen, Lead Earn Teams Seventh CCSA Weekly Sweep

The Swimmer of the Week award marks the third of the season and career for Kaas Elmgreen, while Wright takes home the Diver of the Week award for the seventh time this season and the 13th time in her two-year career. As a team, FGCU has now earned a total of 15 weekly honorsin 11 weeks of competition this season, including its seventh sweep of the awards.

In a back-and-forth battle with cross-state rival FIU Saturday, Kaas Elmgreen (Charlottenlund, Denmark/Ordrup Gymnasium) played an instrumental role in the Green and Blue’s dramatic, come-from-behind win against the Panthers as she finished first in both the 100 and 200 fly with both performances coming at crucial times in the meet.

With FGCU trailing by eight points through 12 events, the Denmark native not only won the 100 fly by touching the pads in 55.91 seconds, but, along with teammate Yee Ching Wong’s (Hong Kong, China/Diocesan Girls’ School) runner-up finish, also gave the Eagles a one-point lead over the Panthers. Kaas Elmgreen’s win in the event was the first of three straight wins for the Green and Blue to cap off the dual. Earlier in the meet, the school record holder in the 200 fly also won the event in a time of 2:01.48 and helped FGCU reclaim its early lead against FIU.

In Friday’s Senior Day matchup against FAU, Kaas Elmgreen competed in the 200 IM and finished in second place behind teammate Fanny Teijonsalo (Espoo, Finland/Makelanrinteen Lukio) with a time of 2:06.65.

Like she has for most of her career, Wright (Port St. Lucie, Fla./Indian River State/Lincoln Park Academy) turned in a couple of all-time-best performances in her final two regular season meets as a member of the Green and Blue.

The Port St. Lucie native surpassed the NCAA Zone Diving Standard in two of four events last weekend with a 271.42-point effort in the one-meter dive against FAU and a 286.73-point performance in the three-meter dive at FIU. It was the fourth time this season Wright had eclipsed the mark in the one-meter dive and second time in the three meter. Additionally, her dive at FIU was a new personal record and registers as the fourth-best dive in program history, while her performance against FAU on Senior Day ranks 10th all-time in the event.

In two years with the Green and Blue, Wright continues to rewrite the FGCU record books as she holds six of the Eagles’ top-10 all-time marks in the one-meter dive – four of which occurred this season – and four in the three-meter event – three of which occurred during her final campaign.

Below is a list of the Eagles’ CCSA weekly honorees this season.

Swimmer of the Week:
Christina Kaas Elmgreen (Oct. 4) – All Florida Invite
Katie Latham (Oct. 11) – FGCU Classic
Elizabeth Zeiger (Oct. 26) – USC/UCLA
Sandra Wilk (Nov. 8) – FSU/Florida Southern/West Florida
Christina Kaas Elmgreen (Nov. 22) – Georgia Tech Invite
Sommer Harris (Dec. 21) – UNC Asheville
Doris Eichhorn (Jan. 24) – Miami
Christina Kaas Elmgreen (Jan. 31) – FAU/FIU

Diver of the Week:
Ashley Wright (Oct. 4) – All Florida Invite
Ashley Wright (Oct. 26) – USC/UCLA
Ashely Wright (Nov. 8) – FSU/Florida Southern/West Florida
Ashley Wright (Nov. 22) – Georgia Tech Invite
Ashley Wright (Dec. 21) – Clemson
Ashley Wright (Jan. 24) – Miami
Ashley Wright (Jan. 31) – FAU/FIU

UP NEXT
FGCU prepares for the CCSA Championships held in Athens, Ga., from Wednesday, Feb. 15 through Saturday, Feb. 18, where the Eagles will be in search of its eighth conference crown in a span of nine years.

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, 2016. 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.

News courtesy of FGCU Athletics.