Dec. 1, 2009
- Iowa and the Big Ten Network
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch (2009-10 season)
- Download your Iowa Hawkeye iPhone app!
Complete Release in PDF Format
THIS WEEK — The University of Iowa men’s swimming team has 10 swimmers traveling to the ConocoPhillips Short Course National Championship meet Dec. 3-5 in Federal Way, WA. Byron Butler, Max Dittmer, Nick Divan, Paul Gordon, Sean Hagan, Jordan Huff, Zane Hugo, Duncan Partridge, Ryan Phelan, and Matt Ryan will be swimming in the event for the Hawkeyes.
“We’re excited to take a talented group of athletes to the U.S. Nationals in Seattle,” said Head Coach Marc Long. “It’s an outstanding opportunity to race against elite competition in an amazing environment. This experience will help with the development of our young team as we prepare for February and March.”
LAST EVENT — The Hawkeyes hosted the Hawkeye Invitational Nov. 20-22. The men faced South Dakota State, Truman State and Western Illinois. Iowa held the top score all three days of competition finishing with a final score of 1408. Coming in behind Iowa were Truman State (974.5), Northern Iowa ((581.5) and Western Illinois (430).
The Hawkeyes swept the 200 IM, taking the top three spots. Iowa’s sophomore Paul Gordon took first-place with a time of 1:52.10. Junior Max Dittmer and freshman Byron Butler took second and third place. Dittmer came in second at 1:54.53, while Butler came in right behind in third place (1:55.40).
Freshman, Jordan Huff swam a collegiate best time of 1:39.26 in the 200 free. Iowa took the top four spots in the 100 back. Butler placed first and earned a collegiate best time of 50.61. Butler also placed first in the 200 back and earned another collegiate best time of 1:49.60.
The Hawkeyes continued to dominate in the 100 free. Iowa placed in the top six spots. Gordon earned first place in the event and posted a collegiate best time of 45.35. Sophomore Duncan Partridge came in second (45.44) and junior Brad Jones finished third (46.87).
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.