Head coach Neal Studd and the No. 24 FGCU swimming and diving program added a pair of top-tier swimmers during the early-signing period as Elizabeth Zeiger and Madison Jean have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Green and Blue in 2016.
"Elizabeth and Madison are a couple of great signings for us," said FGCU head coach Neal Studd. "Both are not only great athletes in the pool, but also great people outside of it. They will bring a lot to the team from the very beginning, and we're very excited to get them on campus."
Zeiger (Cumberland, R.I./Homeschooled/Crimson Aquatics) joins FGCU as one of the highest-ranked recruits in program history with CollegeSwimming.com tabbing her the top-ranked recruit in her home state and the 63rd-ranked recruit in the class of 2016.
"I chose to attend FGCU because of its up and coming swimming program and the great academics the university provides," Zeiger said. "Neal (Studd) and his staff are friendly, professional and care about the whole person. I look forward to improving my swimming and obtaining a great education as an Eagle."
Already, the Crimson Aquatics product has recorded personal-best times fast enough to place her in the FGCU record books. In the 400-yard IM, Zeiger's personal record of 4:13.18 would claim FGCU's top spot by more than two seconds. Additionally, her top 200-yard freestyle time of 1:49.15 would have made her CCSA Champion in the event a season ago, while her best 200-yard IM (2:01.47) and 500-yard freestyle (4:51.52) performances would have been good for runner-up finishes. All three times would also fall within the top-three performances in program history.
Zeiger is a two-time Junior National Finalist and was a National Select Camp qualifier in 2014. However, her proudest moment as a young student-athlete was qualifying for the Olympic Trials when she was 14 years old prior to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England. Zeiger has also qualified for the Olympic Trials heading into 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
She is the younger sister of former and current University of Minnesota swimmers Blake and Brooke Zeiger, who were both 2015 NCAA Championship participants.
Jean (Parrish, Fla./Lakewood Ranch HS) has been tabbed by CollegeSwimming.com as the 12th-ranked recruit in the Sunshine State and the 206th-ranked swimmer in the graduating class of 2016.
"I'm excited for my future at FGCU and feel like it's a perfect fit for me," Jean said. "It's an amazing program, and I'm so glad to become a part of it soon."
Primarily a butterfly swimmer, Jean will add depth to the FGCU roster and likely be an immediate scorer for the Green and Blue upon stepping foot on campus. Her personal-best 100-yard butterfly time of 54.27 seconds would not only have been good for a runner-up finish at the 2014 conference championship, but would also rank as the fourth-fastest time in FGCU history.
Over the past two seasons, Jean has earned back-to-back runner-up finishes in the finals of the 100-yard butterfly at the Florida High School 3A State Championships. The Parrish native currently holds four of her high school's program records. Additionally, she was named the Bradenton Herald's Swimmer of the Year following her four-medal performance at the state championship meet last December, during which she earned All-American status from the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association.
