Women's Swimming | 6/8/2026 8:00:00 AM

Saint Francis University will recognize its 2026 Athletics Hall of Fame Class on Friday, July 24. The class includes 11 student-athletes, one coach, and two teams. In the weeks leading up to the Hall of Fame ceremony, we'll spend the summer catching up with these standout athletes and celebrating the achievements that earned them a place among school's all-time greats.

Brilliant in the classroom, cerebral in the water. That is how former Saint Francis swim coach Pat Gallagher remembers Elise Löfgren.

When Löfgren graduated from Saint Francis in 2014, she left as the most decorated swimmer in program history. Part of three NEC championship teams, her trophy case is filled with medals and accolades, including NEC Rookie of the Year and NEC Swimmer of the Year honors. She also earned 14 gold medals at conference championships.

"At this level in our sport, 'working hard' is not a distinguishing trait in swimming," Gallagher said. "It's simply the price of admission."

Löfgren grew up nearly 4,000 miles from Loretto in the town of Mölnlycke, a suburban area just outside Gothenburg, the second-largest city in Sweden. She made a splash at a young age and long had her sights on getting her college degree in the United States and competing at a high level.

After narrowing her search down to a few schools, Gallagher was the first coach to contact her.

"As anyone who knows Pat can attest, he is very enthusiastic and engaging and talks a lot," Löfgren said.

She remembers taking a lot of notes during that call, including some that were not relevant to the sport. It was a great first impression and left no doubt on where she wanted to spend the next four years of her career.

Saint Francis won its first NEC championship in 2010. The following season, Löfgren was determined to prove she belonged. Gallagher said she trained with purpose every day, and the maturity she showed made an immediate impact.

"She constantly thought about how she moved through the water and how small adjustments could make meaningful differences," Gallagher said. "Elise approached swimming with curiosity and precision."

That freshman season ended with a memorable performance at the NEC Championship. Saint Francis entered the final night in second place. Without a dive team to score points, Gallagher said they needed to have a perfect session. His team struck gold in four of the evening's seven events. Löfgren set a new conference record, winning the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:16.50. The clutch performances earned Saint Francis its second consecutive league title.

"While swimming is often seen as an individual sport, it never felt that way at SFU," Löfgren said. "We were all there to contribute, support each other, and achieve something together—and that is what has stayed with me the most."

The Saint Francis swimming dynasty continued at the 2012 championship. Löfgren earned six individual gold medals and set new league records in the 100 breaststroke, the 200 and 400 medley relays, as well as the 800 freestyle relay.

Gallagher said his star swimmer always had her emotions in check, never getting too high or too low. Löfgren is quick to give credit to her coach, calling him a great motivator and teacher.

"One memory that stands out is from a lifting session where we were doing squat jumps. Many of us complained quite a bit that day," Löfgren said. "After lifting, we went straight to the pool where Pat had written 'failure' across the whiteboard. He then spent about 15 minutes talking about attitude, effort, and the importance of failing in order to succeed."

Messages like that fueled the Red Flash to a fourth-straight NEC championship in 2013. They also transitioned into the classroom. While Löfgren spent hours in the pool, the chemistry major remembers the late-night study groups. Once again, the hard work paid off as she won scholar-athlete and All-American academic awards her final two seasons.

Twelve years later, Löfgren still holds the program records for the 100 and 200 breaststroke. After graduating, she returned home to Sweden and continued swimming for two more years.

"I found that I performed best academically when I was also actively training," Löfgren said. "So, I continued competing, including at Swedish national championships."

Löfgren also took up swimrun, a endurance sport that is quite popular in Sweden. It involves trail running and open-water swimming. She then took a break from competition to raise a family, and she began a career as an engineer at Volvo Cars, where she still works today.

Her love for swimming and Saint Francis remains strong. Löfgren is excited to add another medal to her trophy case when she returns to campus for the Hall of Fame ceremony on July 24.
 

Saint Francis Alumni Weekend is July 23-26.
Registration & Events | Get tickets to Hall of Fame Ceremony