FORT MYERS, Fla. – FGCU swimming & diving's senior Petra Halmai (Dombovar, Hungary/Lanczos Kornel Secondari Grammar School) officially earned her spot on the 2021 Hungarian European Championship Team this week, completing her racing at Hungarian Nationals early Saturday morning. The All-American is on track to become the program's sixth Olympian, as she additionally earned a provisional spot on the team that will represent Hungary at the 2021 Olympic Games.

Halmai's racing at her home country's national meet was also highlighted by her record-breaking performance in the 100-meter breaststroke, where her final time of 1:08.02 earned her the title of 'National Champion'. Her effort stands as the fastest LCM time in the Green & Blue record book.

"This week, I feel like I showed who I am as a swimmer," Halmai said. "Right now, I have the best time in the 100 Breast, which qualifies me for 2021 [Olympics]. I wanted to swim an Olympic 'A' cut to make the Olympic team for sure, but it didn't happen. I'm still really happy with where I am, I definitely want to have a chance to compete in Tokyo. The official team will be decided in March, and now I know that there's a chance for me to be a part it. I believe in what I am doing and I believe in Dave [Rollins], Lara [Jackson], our strength coach Reid [Barnett], and our athletic trainer Taylor [Carpenter]. I'm also so grateful for my team that has helped to make me better. To everyone that has believed in me, thank you. The hard work is just starting now." 

The returning CCSA Swimmer of the Year from the 2019-20 season, Halmai had an additional podium finish in the 200-meter breaststroke, as she placed second overall. However, her prelim time of 2:27.80 stands as the fastest swim in the country. The senior completed her weekend with the 50-meter breaststroke event, where she laid down a 31.82 and placed second once again. All of Halmai's times from this weekend stand at the top of the Green & Blue record book in their respective LCM events. 

Halmai had been training with head coach Dave Rollins right up until her trip back to her native country. No stranger to success himself, the two-time CCSA Coach of the Year was a national champion swimmer during his time at the University of Arizona and qualified for the Olympic Trials twice (2004, '08).

"We're very excited for Petra to have the opportunity to represent her country at the greatest sporting event in the world," Rollins said. "Petra is the type of athlete that challenges you to not only be a better version of yourself, but to be the best at whatever you're doing in that moment. It's more than just swimming; whether it's taking a test or lifting in the weight room, her commitment to both herself and her teammates has elevated us [FGCU] to a higher level. We're looking forward to welcoming her back to The Nest and getting back to work, as we still have unfinished business."

Though the decision regarding the 2021 Hungarian Olympic Team remains to be officially made, Halmai has punched her ticket to the 2021 European Championships. The event will be held in Budapest from May 10-23 as a precursor to the 2021 Olympic Games, which will kick off on July 23 in Tokyo.

Until then, Halmai has her sights set on helping the Eagles capture their 10^th CCSA Conference title, as well as making another run at the NCAA Championship. With the 10^th-fastest time in the nation, Halmai had earned her spot in this past season's 200-yard breaststroke event, but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She currently holds the Green & Blue's records in that event (2:07.38), as well as the 100 Breast (59.89).
 
Eagles in the Olympics

Name	Country	Year
Eva Lehtonen	Finland	2008 (Beijing)
Danielle Beabrun	Saint Lucia	2008 (Beijing), 2012 (London)
Karin Vilorio	Honduras	2012 (London)
Lani Cabrerra	Barbados	2016 (Rio)
Evita Leter	Suriname	2016 (Rio)

 
For complete coverage of FGCU swimming & diving, follow the Eagles on Twitter (@FGCU_WSwim), Instagram (@FGCU_WSwimDive) and online at www.FGCUAthletics.com. You can also sign up to have news on FGCU swimming & diving or other programs delivered directly to your inbox by visiting www.fgcuathletics.com/email.

HEAD COACH DAVE ROLLINS
Head coach Dave Rollins is only the second coach in program history. He was hired Sept. 1, 2016 and owns a 32-20-1 (.615) dual meet record, which includes an 11-2 (.846) mark against CCSA opponents, in his fourth season. Rollins guided FGCU to back-to-back CCSA titles (2017, 2018), as well as the program's fourth-straight title in 2018, marking the ninth championship in 10 years. In addition, he has been awarded CCSA Coach of the Year in two of his seasons at the helm. Previously, Rollins was the associate head men's swimming coach at The Ohio State University. Rollins brings over a decade of coaching experience to The Nest, which includes helping to develop Olympians, NCAA Champions and All-Americans, along with multiple conference champions. A native of Brockton, Mass., he was a standout collegiate swimmer in his own right and was inducted into the University of Arizona's Hall of Fame in 2017, as a nine-time NCAA All-American, national champion, school record holder and team captain.

SUSTAINING FLIGHT 
To help offset the financial impact of COVID-19, FGCU Athletics has launched the Sustaining Flight Fundraiser and Auction. The fundraising campaign will help mitigate operational revenue loss and the additional expenses incurred as a result of COVID-19 protocols. All funds raised during the campaign will go to support areas that directly impact student-athletes.
 
In lieu of hosting the annual Night at the Nest gala this year, one of FGCU's most successful fundraising events, the department will be hosting a virtual, online auction from Monday, Nov. 30 through Friday, Dec. 4. Fans and supporters will be able to bid on exclusive memorabilia, trip packages, unique event experiences and more. For more information, visit www.fgcuathletics.com/sustainingflight.

E.A.G.L.E. CAMPAIGN
IT TAKES A TEAM to achieve our newest goal - a $10 million campaign to address student-athlete needs in continued academic success, life skills, mental health, nutrition, and strength and conditioning as well as departmental needs in facility expansion and improvement as well as mentoring and leadership training for coaches and staff. The name embodies our mission and the purpose of the E.A.G.L.E. Campaign - Eagle Athletics Generating Lifetime Excellence. Join Our Team and pledge your gift today to help the Eagles of tomorrow!

#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
 
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 82 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 13 seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just nine seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 38 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport – including women's basketball (No. 24, 2019-20) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as three of the most recent. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate (APR) in their sport and have had the highest percentage of teams so honored from these two groups over each of the past three years. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.46 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 22 consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall and 2020 Spring semesters each saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 – being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
 
--FGCUATHLETICS.COM--