Elise Hatfield, a senior swimmer for the highly-successful Seminoles squad, has been a force in the pool and also in the classroom. The distance freestyler has been posting new personal bests each year to help Florida State to a very successful few years, including a school-record 17 dual meet victories this season. Hatfield has also been named to the ACC Honor Roll each year of her college career while double-majoring in Biomedical Mathematics and Chemical Science.
When did you start swimming competitively?
I used to get dragged to the pool every day because of my sister, so one summer I decided to start swimming and just didn't stop! I was five (when I started).
What is the best advice you've received from a coach?
To believe in myself. That was from John Hughes, my club coach back home.
Who is your most influential role model?
Probably my parents. They're good influences in my life and guide me in the right direction. They've always been there whenever I needed anything.
What is your greatest accomplishment as an athlete so far?
It's more of a "most memorable", but swimming the 500 freestyle my freshman year at the ACC (Championships). I was swimming right next to Katie Ronan, who was a sophomore that year here at Florida State, and we both swam our best times. I beat my best time by seven seconds and she beat hers by at least five seconds. We went 1-2 in our heat, which was pretty cool, and got voted "Most Memorable Race" by our coaches.
What do you still hope to accomplish?
It's kind of weird, my career isn't much longer! (laughs) I'd like to get a best time at the ACC (Championships); that would be a great way to finish up. Also to have a good time and enjoy it.
Do you have a most memorable moment in sports, either as an athlete or as a fan?
There are two really exciting things. One was our men's team winning the ACC (Championship) the year after we did. That was exciting because we see them every day and know what they go through as well. Also, there was a medley relay team we sent to NCAAs last year that was seeded first in the finals. It was intense - we were all sitting around a computer watching it live.
What is it like competing in a conference like the ACC week in and week out?
It's exciting because there are some really good teams out there. It's also fun because I've known some of the others since I was little, so we go to swim meets and see people that we know but still get to get up and race and have a good time.
Being a consistent member of the ACC Honor Roll, how do you balance being a student-athlete?
I'm not really sure sometimes! (laughs) My parents were always into making sure my sister and I did our homework and stayed on top of things. I kept on doing that and just get my work done now.
What do you hope to do with your double major in Biomedical Mathematics and Chemical Science beyond graduation?
I applied to medical school and veterinary school and am waiting to hear back. (What I want to do) changes every day, that's why I applied to both.
What has been your favorite part of your Florida State career?
(Even though) I'm off at school, I'm not all by myself. (When I came here), I was already part of this big family and it's been great. I've had the same little group of friends and it's been great seeing people grow up and get better at their sports. There are athletes from other sports I've seen walking around campus for the past four years and it's crazy to think that we're all about to move on.
Elise Hatfield and the Seminoles have concluded their dual meet season and are gearing up for the ACC Championships, held Feb. 20-23 at Georgia Tech.
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