Sophomore Andrew Seliskar has re-written record books on the school, district, regional, state and national levels. A part of Jefferson’s varsity swim team, Seliskar came just short of three-time Olympic gold medalist Brendan Hansen’s 100- yard breaststroke national high school record at the Northern Regional Championships on Feb. 2.
“I was originally looking to break Hansen’s record, but I was still happy with my time,” Seliskar said.
Seliskar has been swimming for 10 years alongside older brother and Class of 2012 graduate Stephen Seliskar. He swims for the McLean Marlins during the summer and trains with his club team, the Nation’s Capital Swim Club, seven times a week for two and a half hours a day.
Seliskar is a member of the 2012-2013 USA Swimming National Junior Team and currently holds the National Age Group record in the 15-16-year-old boys’ 100-yard breaststroke. He was recently named the number one male swimming recruit for the Class of 2015 by collegeswimming.com.
“A swimmer of his caliber could just be focused on his own races, but he cheers the whole team on and is a really humble guy,” junior Miles Oakley said. “Plus, he’s hilarious.”
As a part of the Jefferson swim team, Seliskar hopes to put TJSD on the record boards a few more times.
“High school swim is a great way to get good racing in mid-season, and all the practicing we do year-round really pays off when we can come together,” Seliskar said. “The other swimmers are so encouraging, and it really motivates everyone to swim their best.”
(This article originally appeared in the February 28, 2013 print edition.)
Cheree Wanlass • Apr 14, 2013 at 5:08 am
Competitive swimming became popular in the nineteenth century. The goal of competitive swimming is to constantly improve upon one’s time(s), or to beat the competitors in any given event. However, some professional swimmers who do not hold a national or world ranking are considered the best in regard to their technical skills. Typically, an athlete goes through a cycle of training in which the body is overloaded with work in the beginning and middle segments of the cycle, and then the workload is decreased in the final stage as the swimmer approaches the competition in which he or she is to compete in. This final stage is often referred to as “shave and taper.”