Andrew Seliskar is a butterfly and medley specialist from McLean, Virginia. Before moving across the to the University of California, Berkeley, Seliskar was breaking Virginia state records at the Thomas Jefferson High School and under head coach John Flanagan at the Nation Capitals Swim Club. With Flanagan’s guidance, Seliskar climbed the World rankings making it inside the top-20 in 2013 and 2014. His older brother Steven swam for Purdue.
Outside the pool, Seliskar is a musician. He finds time to play in a band called Seahorse Yesterday with his brother and friends. He also formed a band with Cal teammate, Carson Sand, called Sather Lane.
University of California, Berkeley
As the number two recruit in the nation, Seliskar decided to move from coast to coast to train under Dave Durden as a Cal Bear.
Andrew Seliskar (photo: Mike Lewis)
2015-2016
Seliskar wasted no time in making a name for himself in the Pac-12. At the conference championships he earned Swimmer of the Meet honors after winning 200 yard butterfly, 200 and 400 yard medley, 400 and 800 yard freestyle relay and 400 yard medley relay. He was also voted Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year.
At the NCAA Championships he claimed the bronze medal in the 200 yard butterfly and made the final in both the medley events.
2016-2017
As a sophomore at the NCAA Championships, Seliskar won a silver medal in the 400 yard medley in 3:36.18, which was almost a four-second improvement of his best time that was set at the meet the previous year. He placed 6th in both the 200 yard butterfly and medley to contribute more points to the Cal Bears who finished second overall at the championships
2017-18
Andrew started the 2018 NCAA’s by leading off Cal’s 6th place 800 free relay in a new school record of 1:31.28. He went on to finish third in the 400 IM (3:38.73) and fifth in the 200 IM (1:40.40). Seliskar saved the best for last, nearly running down Ian Finnerty in the 200 breast to touch 2nd in 1:50.42. Seliskar was back in action soon after in the 400 free relay, going 2nd (41.84) to help the bears finish 3rd in the relay.
2018-19
As a senior, Andrew Seliskar won his 11th Pac-12 title on the final night of the 2019 PAC-12’s. That broke both Cal’s school record and the Pac-12 Conference record for most individual conference titles by a male swimmer since the conference began holding a championship in 1961. Seliskar’s record-setting weekend included new Conference Championship Records in both the 200 free (1:31.07) and 200 breast (1:49.80) as well as a win in the 200 IM (1:40.53), and was part of a 15-win meet for the Cal Golden Bears. That included a sweep of the event titles on the final day of competition.
At the NCAA’s, Seliskar finished on a high note, sweeping his individual events, not only giving him his first individual NCAA title, but earning him a whopping 3 titles overall as well as Swimmer of the Meet status. He won the 200 IM (1:38.14, 2nd fastest performance all-time), 200 Free (1:30.14, 4th fastest performance ever), and 200 Breast (1:48.70, 4th fastest performance ever).
International Career
2012 U.S. Olympic Trials
At the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials, at just 15 years old, Seliskar narrowly missed out on a semi final spot, finishing 18th in the 200 meter medley. He also swam in the 200 meter butterfly and 400 meter medley.
2013 World Junior Championships
Seliskar has been on the USA National Team since 2013. In that year he became a Junior World Champion and Junior World Record Holder in the 200 meter butterfly at the 2013 FINA World Junior Championships. He took the gold at the meet in 1:56.42.
2014 Jr Pan Pacs
A year later at the 2014 Junior Pan Pacific Championships he picked up a trio of gold in 200 meter butterfly, 200 and 400 meter medley and a silver in the 100 meter butterfly.
2016 U.S. Olympic Trials
At his second time around at the Olympic Trials, now 19 years old, Seliskar made two finals. He finished 7th in the 200 meter medley and 8th in the 200 meter butterfly. He also swam the 400 meter medley, finishing 12th.
2018 U.S. National Championships
Seliskar won the 200 freestyle at the 2018 Phillips 66 National Championships in a personal best of 1.45.70, garnering his first ever national title and putting him on the Pan Pac team, his first ever USA “A” team. Seliskar also finished third in the 200 IM with a personal best of 1:58.23 and seventh in the 100 butterfly (52.24).
2018 Pan Pacific Championships
After clocking 2 1:45 200 free’s in Irvine, Seliskar repeated the feat as he went into finals the top seed with a 1:45. In finals, Seliskar touched at 1:45.74, just behind teammate Townley Haas, for the silver, also securing his first spot on a world championship (2019) team. On day 2, Seliskar led off the men’s 4×200 relay in 1:46.75 to help USA ultimately garner another gold medal.
ISL – LA Current
On June 18, 2019, Andrew Seliskar was announced as a member of the LA Current ISL team, headed by GM Lenny Krayzelburg.
2019 World Championships
Seliskar swam the 200 free individually in Gwangju, placing 15th overall with a time of 1:46.83. Seliskar returned on the 4×200 free relay, splitting 1:45.81 on lead-off to help USA earn bronze, Seliskar’s first worlds medal.
2019 Swammy Awards
For his sweep of individual events, relay title, and aid in the overall team title, Andrew Seliskar earned the NCAA Male Swimmer of the Year Swammy Award.
20121 Olympic Trials
On night 3 in Omaha, Seliskar qualified for his first Olympic Games, touching 4th in the 200 free at 1:46.34.
