CALIFORNIA's senior student Björn Seeliger was named the 2023-24 Men’s Swimming/Diving Scholar Athlete of the Year on Saturday. The award, which is presented in each of the 24 sports the Pac-12 sponsors, was established to honor collegiate student-athletes who are standouts both academically and in their sports discipline. 

The senior Golden Bear from Södertälje, Sweden is currently studying Business Administration with a cumulative GPA of 3.75. In his academic endeavors, Seeliger is a two-time CSCAA Scholar All-American First Team honoree and a two time Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll honoree and a 2023 CSC Academic All-American.

An athletic powerhouse, Seeliger is a 12-time Pac-12 Champion with three consecutive wins in the 200 and 400 free relay and back-to-back wins in the 100 free. In his three years of Pac-12 competition he holds the Pac-12 record in the 50 free, 100 free and 400 free relay with Pac-12 Championship records in all three with the addition of the 400 Medley relay. 

On the National scale the senior has helped capture back-to-back NCAA team Championships after taking home wins in the 400 Medley relay, 200 free relay and 400 free relay. His overall collegiate performance has contributed to him becoming a 19-time CSCAA All-American, with the Golden Bear receiving at least six All-American honors per year. In 2020, Seeligger competed as a member of Team Sweden for the Tokyo Olympics. 

As a part of the Berkeley Cameron institute, Seeliger contributes to his community by reading to children at the Oakland Public Children’s Library. The senior is set to graduate in May 2024.

In order to be eligible for the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, student-athletes must be a senior (in athletics eligibility) on track to receive a degree, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, participate in at least 50 percent of the scheduled contests in the sport and have a minimum one year in residence at the institution. Each Pac-12 institution may nominate one individual per sport, and the winners are selected by a committee of Pac-12 staff members at the conclusion of each sport’s regular season. The athletics accomplishments of the nominees are a consideration in voting for the award.

A Scholar-Athlete of the Year is named annually in each of the Pac-12’s 24 sponsored sports: baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, beach volleyball, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, football, men’s golf, women’s golf, women’s gymnastics, women’s lacrosse, men’s rowing, women’s rowing, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, softball, men’s swimming & diving, women’s swimming & diving, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, men’s track & field, women’s track & field, women’s volleyball, and wrestling. The award was first established during the 2007-08 academic year.