Iowa Returns to Field House Pool for Weekend Action

Iowa Returns to Field House Pool for Weekend Action

Oct. 20, 2009

THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa men’s and women’s swimming & diving team will host their first dual meet of the season Friday against Michigan State and Wisconsin-Milwaukee at 4 p.m. The Hawkeyes then host Missouri State on Saturday at 11 a.m. Both events will be held at the University Field House Pool.

“We are excited about swimming another quality Big Ten opponent and out of the conference opponent in the same night. We will also be waking up the next morning to swim a good Missouri State team.”
Head Coach Marc Long

LAST WEEK
The University of Iowa men’s and women’s swimming & diving team competed in its first Big Ten dual meet of the season against the Wisconsin Badgers Oct. 16. The Hawkeye men beat the Badgers 162-138 while the women finished behind the Badger women, 216-83.

Senior Nick Divan and sophomores Duncan Partridge and Paul Gordon recorded first place finishes for the men’s team. Divan won the 1000 freestyle with a time of 9:40.27 which was twenty seconds faster than Wisconsin’s fourth place finish. Partridge posted first places times in the 50 free (20.79) and 100 free (45.66), while Gordon won the 200 free (1:30.34) and 500 free (4:36.77).

The Iowa women put up a good fight against the always competitive and successful Wisconsin team. Junior Katarine Tour took the top time in the 100 fly (56.82) and was second in the 100 breast (1:05.96). Senior Laura Mozdez took another top place finish for Iowa in the 200 fly (2:06.80).

Iowa’s men’s and women’s diving team had a solid meet. Senior Frank Van Dijkhuizen won the one meter and three meter diving events with scores of 326.48 and 333.75, respectively. Freshman, Mary Sue Lemany placed fourth for the Hawkeyes in the one-meter (223.05) and fifth in three-meter (171.90).

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’s 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 ras 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 AND 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.