Oct. 13, 2009
- Iowa and the Big Ten Network
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch (2009-10 season)
THIS WEEK — The University of Iowa men’s and women’s swimming & diving team will travel to Madison, WI Friday to take on the University of Wisconsin. The meet will start at 5 p.m.
LAST WEEK — The University of Iowa men’s and women’s swimming team competed in their first dual meet on Saturday (Oct. 9) against the Truman State Bulldogs. The Hawkeyes swept the Bulldogs 182-78 after winning every race except the 200 butterfly.
Junior Verity Hicks had a great meet for the women. She placed first in all three of her events, 200 free (1:54.15), 500 free (5:05.63), and 400 free relay (3:32.65). The 400 free relay team of Hicks, sophomore Daniela Cubelic, senior Julie deBruin and senior Christine Kuczek was eight seconds faster than Truman States second place team.
For the men’s team, junior Max Dittmer had a fantastic meet, winning his two individual events, 100 breast (59.69), and 200 back (1:55.11). Dittmer was also a part of both winning relay teams, 200 medley relay (1:33.78) and the 400 free relay (3:11.50). Freshman Byron Butler and sophomore Paul Gordon also had a great meet and racked up some points for the Hawkeyes.
“We’re excited to kick-off our Big Ten dual meet schedule with a trip to Wisconsin,” said Head Coach Marc Long. “Their teams are very successful, experienced, and have a lot of NCAA Championship competitors. It’ll be a great opportunity to race in a tough environment on the road.”
HEAD COACH Marc Long — Marc Long is in his sixth season as head coach for the University of Iowa swimming team. It’s his fifth as head coach of the combined program. During his tenure as head coach of both programs, 10 school records have fallen and 39 Hawkeyes have provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships.
DIVING COACH Bob Rydze — Bob Rydze is in his 35th year as diving coach of the men and women’s teams at the University of Iowa. Rydze served as Team Leader for USA Diving at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, where he served as the Team Leader for USA Diving. During his tenure with the Hawkeyes, Rydze has coached 31 all-Americans, nine Big Ten and one NCAA Champion.
CAMPUS RECREATION AND WELLNESS CENTER– Ground was broken for the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center in October 2007. The facility will serve as the new home for Iowa Swimming and Diving upon completion in the spring of 2010. The facility will be at the corner of Burlington and Madison streets and is expected to cost $69 million.
FIELD HOUSE POOL — Iowa’s Field House Pool was built in 1927 and was, at the time, the world’s largest indoor swimming pool. In 1979, the pool underwent a $400,000 renovation. Diving platforms were added in 1980. The pool is 150 feet long and 60 feet wide, with eight lanes. Diving facilities include a pair of one and three meter springboards, plus five and ten meter platforms.
IOWA SWIMMING HISTORY & TRADITION — Iowa was one of the first schools in the nation to compete on a collegiate level and competed at the first NCAA Championship. From 1937 to 1960, Iowa placed in the NCAA top ten 18 times, crowning nine NCAA and 22 Big Ten Champions.