Swimmer of the Year Is a 'Team First' Guy

Swimming is generally regarded as the ultimate individual sport, competitors race each other and the clock, out there by themselves.

But Andrew Seliskar, for one,is a swimmer who  thinks that premise is all wet. He is in the pool for the team, with individual glory.

That is why when asked about his brilliant showing in the NCAA meet last month in Austin, Texas, he points to the banner hanging on the wall at the Spieker Aquatic Complex that lists Cal’s national men’s swimming championships. The last year listed is 2014, which needs to be updated primarily because of Seliskar’s brilliant showing. The fact as a senior he won three individual events was secondary to the Bears bringing home the team title. Even though they were the first NCAA titles of his career, was not as important to him.

“Yeah I hadn’t won a title before my senior year which was obviously a goal of mine,” he said this week. “But the biggest thing I was focused on this year was the team championship, because Cal had placed second four straight years. And we are seeing that banner with 2014 every year. That was right around when I was being recruited to Cal.

As a college swimmer, to be able to come and win that meet in Austin and bring the trophy back to Cal was awesome. To win the individual titles as well. I just felt that was my job. We have a lot of depth and a lot of versatility and I feltI could make the biggest impact in terms of overall points if I would just swim my best.”

That he did. In addition to anchoring the Bears victorious four by 200 meter freestyle relay team, he captured the 200 individual medley, the 200 freestyle and, most impressively, the 200 breaststroke. Powering his way to a strong final 50 meters in the latter event, he unseated defending champion Ian Finnerty of Indiana with a time of 1:48.70, third fastest in NCAA meet history.

He describes the entire weekend as almost surreal.”The NCAA is really like a one-of-a kind meet,” he said. “There is so much tradition with a lot of the college programs. They are close-knit, especially at Cal, We had a huge contingent in the stands cheering, alumni, parents, friends…It’s really  an emotional meet.”

Seliskar’s NCAA showing put the cap on a brilliant college career, and checked the one box he had not, an NCAA individual championship. He scored in the NCAAs in at least one event all four years, three times was Swimmer of the Meet in the Pac-12 championships. Largely because of his showing in the NCAAs he was this voted College Swimmer of the Year.

The only hiccup in his collegiate career came in the summer of 2017. “I had a couple of sports related injuries that were bothering me,” he said. “Coach Durden and I decided I might as well not push it at the US Nationals that summer, which was kind of a disappointment for me because I really wanted to compete. But in the long run it turned out to be great because I was able to take a few weeks out of the water and reset and come back for my junior year.

“Stuff like that happens in athletics. I was lucky enough to have swum for 20 years and never have an injury. Then when I finally had one i had to sit out but it wasn’t something I wanted to slow me down in the long run.

“I was in the water and in the weight room., It was a good chance to work on my kicks I felt that was an area where I could improve. I think that I am continuing to work on and it is getting better.”

The NCAA was just the beginning of what will be an active summer. “ I have qualified to represent the US (there is that team concept again) in the World Championships at the end of July in South Korea. Coach Durden is the coach and we have a good Cal contingent, five or six Cal alums.”

Seliskar’s versatility, so vital to his NCAA effort,  will not be a factor there. “I am only qualified the 200 freestyle and to be part of the 4 by 200 freestyle relay. In a way,” he said. “That is good because I can kind of nail my focus down on that one stroke and that one distance.”

Not that he has become a one-trick pony. “I haven’t nailed down my entire schedule yet, but I will probably enter a few more meets just to compete in my other events,” he said.

He was eager to get his life back to normal after the excitement in Austin. “I am really pumped to be back here in Berkeley, be back training,” he said. “The meet was a lot of fun, but it’s great to be here. Classes have started again. We were all on Spring Break that week, and It was nice not to have to take exams on the road. We were right back to it last week, with classes and midterms and all of that.”

“All of that” will conclude with Seliskar marching in graduation ceremonies next month.His major is Environmental Economics and Policies. “It’s a good balance,” he said. “I get to take more math intensive classes, which I like. And I like the topics they are talking about such as water resources in California. fIsheries or solar power. Looking to launch a career in that when I am finished swimming.”

When he is not swimming or studying, Seliskar enjoys reading -- “All types of non-school stuff.” -- and polishing his skills as a musician. “I play the guitar,” he said. “I like to jam with some friends, there are guys on the swim team who play the guitar, bass, drums,” he said. We get together some times. I started playing like when I was 12.”

Seliskar’s plucking is not universally appreciated.

“I really like it,” he said. “But my neighbors here hate it.”