2015-16: Most consistent distance free swimmer on the squad ... Fastest Wildcat in the 500, 1,000 and 1,650 free ... Also second-fastest in the 200 free ... Swam with the top 800 free relay ... Grabbed points with her season-best 16:43.73 time in the 1,650 free at the Big Ten Championships (2/17-20) ... Swam a 4:50.60 prelim in the 500 free on day two ... Was eighth — and second among Wildcat participants — in the 1,000 free at the triple dual versus Minnesota and Purdue (1/29-30) ... Recorded a first-place finish in the 500 free in the dual victory versus Iowa (1/23) ... Finished in second place in the 1,000 free at Notre Dame (1/16) with a time of 10:13.45 ... Registered a season-best time of 1:50.38 in the 200 free at the TYR Invitational (11/21), showing her versatality as a distance swimmer ... Time is second-best on the team ... Equally dominant in the 200 free at the TYR (11/20) with her second-place time of 4:49.89, a team best ... Dominated the competition in her first 1,650 free of the season at the TYR (11/22) with a first-place time of 16:35.89 ... Time was only two-tenths of a second shy of her career-best ... Swam a second-place time of 10:12.12 in the 1,000 free versus Wisconsin (11/14) ... Dominated her comptition with a first-place finish in the 1,000 free (10:07.66) at Illinois (10/30) ... Took five seconds off of her time the week before ... Also finished in second in the 500 free with a time of 4:59.55 ... Took home second place in the 1,000 free at the Chicago Quad (10/24) with a time of 10:12.06 ... Also placed fourth in the 200 back (2:08.72) ... Academic All-Big Ten ... Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
2014-15: Member of Northwestern's formidable distance freestyle group … Academic All-Big Ten … Co-captain … Ranked on NU's top times list in five different events following the season … Was third in the 200 free and 1,650 free, fourth in the 200 back and 1,000 free, and fifth in the 500 free … Also swam with the Wildcats' top 800 free relay … Earned top six finishes in all four of her events at Northwestern's home TYR Invitational (11/21-11/23) … Swam a career-best 16:35.76 in the mile at the Big ten Championships to finish 21st overall … That time ranked her ninth on NU's all-time top times list in the event … Also competed in the 200 free (38th) and 500 free (40th) at the B1G meet … Was fourth place in both the 200 free and 200 back while taking fifth in the 500 free and sixth in the 1,650 free at the TYR … Also competed for the Wildcats the AT&T U.S. Winter Nationals (12/3-12/6), placing 26th in the short course yards national championship in the 1,650 free and 61st in the 500 free … Scored points for Northwestern with eight different dual meet event top-five finishes, including a win in the 1,000 free on Senior Night against Milwaukee (1/16) … Garnered second place in the 500 free and 1,000 free in a win over Illinois (10/17).
2013-14: Academic All-Big Ten ... Set career-best time in 1,000 free posting a 10:00.25 in meet vs. Notre Dame, Rutgers and Michigan (1/11) ... Time of 10:00.25 ranked No. 8 all-time in Wildcats history ... Posted three individual top times and one relay on NU's top times list ... Led off NU's top 800 free relay team, which posted season best time of 7:18.16 at Big Tens ... Ranked second for NU behind teammate Lauren Abruzzo in 1,000 free and 1,650 free ... Posted 10:00.25 time in 1,000 free vs. Michigan/Notre Dame/Rutgers (1/11) ... Swam 16:45.96 for 'Cats' second best time of the year in mile at the Shamrock Invite (16:45.96) ... Ranked No. 4 on team with 4:51.57 best time in 500 free, set at Big Tens (4:51.57 ... Swam in 500 free at Big Tens, finishing No. 29 ... Posted No. 26 finish at Big Tens in 1,650 free ... Swam 1:51.39 time at Big Tens to finish No. 49 ... Finished first for NU in 500 free vs. Notre Dame/Michigan/Rutgers in meet (1/11) ... Won 200 free vs. UIC/Wyoming with 1:52.40 time (11/9) ... Reached finals in TYR Invite (11/22-23) in 200, 500 and 1,650 free.
2012-13: Talented distance freestyle newcomer ... Ranked on NU's top times list for the year in six different events while also swimming with the Wildcats' top 800 free relay of the season ... Had Northwestern's top times of the year in every freestyle event from the 200 up to the 1,650 and ranked fifth for NU in both backstroke distances ... Led off NU's top 800 free relay of the year with a 1:48.23 at the Big Ten Championships, ranking her eighth on NU's all-time top times list in the 200 free ... Scored points at the Big Ten meet with a 13th-place 16:38.35 in the mile, making her the seventh-quickest all-time at NU in that event ... Earned a second swim in the 500 free at the conference meet where her 4:49.23 in the bonus final led to an 18th-place result and the No. 7 spot on NU's all-time top times list at that distance ... Also competed individually in the 200 free (29th) at the Big Ten Championships ... Her top 1,000 free time of 10:02.84 recorded in a double dual against Michigan and Notre Dame (1/12) ranked her eighth on NU's all-time top times list in the event ... Captured second overall at NU's own six-team TYR Invitational (11/16-11/18) in the 500 free and the 1,650 free (in a season-best time of 16:51.40) ... Was seventh in the 200 back at the TYR while winning the consolation final of the 200 free and finishing 10th overall in the 100 back ... At the seven-team Iowa Invitational (11/30-12/2), had three top-eight finishes ... Captured fifth in the 200 free after a season-best 1:50.31 in the prelims ... Took sixth in the 500 free after a season-best 4:51.68 in the prelims ... Was seventh in the mile in Iowa City ... Won two events in each of her first two collegiate dual meets, capturing the 500 and 1,000 freestyles against Illinois (10/19) and the 200 free and 200 back versus UIC (11/2) ... Also won the 1,000 free against ranked foes Michigan and Notre Dame in a double dual (1/12) ... Had 14 total point-scoring top-five dual meet finishes on the season.
High School: Ranked a four-star recruit by Swimming World Magazine and as the ninth-best recruit in the state of Maryland by Collegeswimming.com ... Two-time NISCA All-American in the 500 freestyle ... Two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American ... As a sophomore, earned Montgomery County Gazette All-Gazette second team and Washington Post All-Metropolitan honorable mention honors ... Was All-Gazette first team and All-Metropolitan second team as a junior ... Won the County Championship in the 500 free in both 2010 and 2011 while finishing runner-up in the event at the 2011 Washington Metropolitan Championships ... Holds team records in the 100 free, 200 free, 500 free, 100 back, 100 fly and 200 IM ... Swam with the Rockville Montgomery Swim Club beginning in 2008 ... Is a Senior National qualifier and national's team captain ... Holds club records in the 500 and 1,000 freestyles in the 15-16 year-old age group and the 800 freestyle mark in the 17-18 year-old age group ... Has been on the 4.0 Honor Roll for every year since she was a freshman ... Active SGA member ... President of the National Honor Society and member of the Spanish Honor Society.
Personal: Born Ellen Casey Anderson ... Daughter of Allan and Margaret Anderson ... Has two older brothers, one of whom ran varsity track at Maryland ... Coaches a summer league and stroke clinic while also working as a lifeguard ... Chose Northwestern over Virginia and Purdue ... Double major in economics and statistics.
2014-15: Member of Northwestern's formidable distance freestyle group … Academic All-Big Ten … Co-captain … Ranked on NU's top times list in five different events following the season … Was third in the 200 free and 1,650 free, fourth in the 200 back and 1,000 free, and fifth in the 500 free … Also swam with the Wildcats' top 800 free relay … Earned top six finishes in all four of her events at Northwestern's home TYR Invitational (11/21-11/23) … Swam a career-best 16:35.76 in the mile at the Big ten Championships to finish 21st overall … That time ranked her ninth on NU's all-time top times list in the event … Also competed in the 200 free (38th) and 500 free (40th) at the B1G meet … Was fourth place in both the 200 free and 200 back while taking fifth in the 500 free and sixth in the 1,650 free at the TYR … Also competed for the Wildcats the AT&T U.S. Winter Nationals (12/3-12/6), placing 26th in the short course yards national championship in the 1,650 free and 61st in the 500 free … Scored points for Northwestern with eight different dual meet event top-five finishes, including a win in the 1,000 free on Senior Night against Milwaukee (1/16) … Garnered second place in the 500 free and 1,000 free in a win over Illinois (10/17).
2013-14: Academic All-Big Ten ... Set career-best time in 1,000 free posting a 10:00.25 in meet vs. Notre Dame, Rutgers and Michigan (1/11) ... Time of 10:00.25 ranked No. 8 all-time in Wildcats history ... Posted three individual top times and one relay on NU's top times list ... Led off NU's top 800 free relay team, which posted season best time of 7:18.16 at Big Tens ... Ranked second for NU behind teammate Lauren Abruzzo in 1,000 free and 1,650 free ... Posted 10:00.25 time in 1,000 free vs. Michigan/Notre Dame/Rutgers (1/11) ... Swam 16:45.96 for 'Cats' second best time of the year in mile at the Shamrock Invite (16:45.96) ... Ranked No. 4 on team with 4:51.57 best time in 500 free, set at Big Tens (4:51.57 ... Swam in 500 free at Big Tens, finishing No. 29 ... Posted No. 26 finish at Big Tens in 1,650 free ... Swam 1:51.39 time at Big Tens to finish No. 49 ... Finished first for NU in 500 free vs. Notre Dame/Michigan/Rutgers in meet (1/11) ... Won 200 free vs. UIC/Wyoming with 1:52.40 time (11/9) ... Reached finals in TYR Invite (11/22-23) in 200, 500 and 1,650 free.
2012-13: Talented distance freestyle newcomer ... Ranked on NU's top times list for the year in six different events while also swimming with the Wildcats' top 800 free relay of the season ... Had Northwestern's top times of the year in every freestyle event from the 200 up to the 1,650 and ranked fifth for NU in both backstroke distances ... Led off NU's top 800 free relay of the year with a 1:48.23 at the Big Ten Championships, ranking her eighth on NU's all-time top times list in the 200 free ... Scored points at the Big Ten meet with a 13th-place 16:38.35 in the mile, making her the seventh-quickest all-time at NU in that event ... Earned a second swim in the 500 free at the conference meet where her 4:49.23 in the bonus final led to an 18th-place result and the No. 7 spot on NU's all-time top times list at that distance ... Also competed individually in the 200 free (29th) at the Big Ten Championships ... Her top 1,000 free time of 10:02.84 recorded in a double dual against Michigan and Notre Dame (1/12) ranked her eighth on NU's all-time top times list in the event ... Captured second overall at NU's own six-team TYR Invitational (11/16-11/18) in the 500 free and the 1,650 free (in a season-best time of 16:51.40) ... Was seventh in the 200 back at the TYR while winning the consolation final of the 200 free and finishing 10th overall in the 100 back ... At the seven-team Iowa Invitational (11/30-12/2), had three top-eight finishes ... Captured fifth in the 200 free after a season-best 1:50.31 in the prelims ... Took sixth in the 500 free after a season-best 4:51.68 in the prelims ... Was seventh in the mile in Iowa City ... Won two events in each of her first two collegiate dual meets, capturing the 500 and 1,000 freestyles against Illinois (10/19) and the 200 free and 200 back versus UIC (11/2) ... Also won the 1,000 free against ranked foes Michigan and Notre Dame in a double dual (1/12) ... Had 14 total point-scoring top-five dual meet finishes on the season.
High School: Ranked a four-star recruit by Swimming World Magazine and as the ninth-best recruit in the state of Maryland by Collegeswimming.com ... Two-time NISCA All-American in the 500 freestyle ... Two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American ... As a sophomore, earned Montgomery County Gazette All-Gazette second team and Washington Post All-Metropolitan honorable mention honors ... Was All-Gazette first team and All-Metropolitan second team as a junior ... Won the County Championship in the 500 free in both 2010 and 2011 while finishing runner-up in the event at the 2011 Washington Metropolitan Championships ... Holds team records in the 100 free, 200 free, 500 free, 100 back, 100 fly and 200 IM ... Swam with the Rockville Montgomery Swim Club beginning in 2008 ... Is a Senior National qualifier and national's team captain ... Holds club records in the 500 and 1,000 freestyles in the 15-16 year-old age group and the 800 freestyle mark in the 17-18 year-old age group ... Has been on the 4.0 Honor Roll for every year since she was a freshman ... Active SGA member ... President of the National Honor Society and member of the Spanish Honor Society.
Personal: Born Ellen Casey Anderson ... Daughter of Allan and Margaret Anderson ... Has two older brothers, one of whom ran varsity track at Maryland ... Coaches a summer league and stroke clinic while also working as a lifeguard ... Chose Northwestern over Virginia and Purdue ... Double major in economics and statistics.
ANDERSON'S CAREER BESTS
| Event | Career Best |
| 200 free | 1:48.23 |
| 500 free | 4.49.23 |
| 1,000 free | 10:00.25 |
| 1,650 free | 16:35.76 |
| 200 back | 2:02.98 |