April 11, 2011
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THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa swimming and diving program will welcome back former Hawkeyes for the annual alumni meet in the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Saturday at 11 a.m. This marks the first time alumni swimmers and divers will be competing in the new CRWC pool after 83 previous years at the Field House Pool.
At the conclusion of the alumni meet, the team will hold its annual spring banquet at the Marriot Hotel & Convention Center in Coralville, Iowa. The gathering will honor the 2010-11 student-athletes, while swimming and diving alumni will also be recognized at the event.
SIX SWIMMERS AND DIVERS EARN ALL-AMERICA RECOGNITION
The Iowa men’s swimming and diving team had the 400-freestyle relay advance to the event final at the 2011 NCAA Championships, where the quartet of Duncan Partridge, Ryan Phelan, Jordan Huff and Paul Gordon finished 15th to earn All-America honors.
On the women’s side, Deidre Freeman earned All-America accolades on both the one and three-meter springboards, while Veronica Rydze received the distinction on the one-meter. It is only the second time in program history that multiple divers have earned All-America honors in the same season.
SWIMMERS AND DIVERS NAMED BIG TEN WINTER ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE
Twenty student-athletes from the men’s and women’s teams were named to the Big Ten Winter Academic all-Conference.
Byron Butler, Max Dittmer, Sean Hagan, Bryan Hill, Ryan Phelan, Mitchell Shanahan, Mitch Taylor, Brian Tremml and Donny Warren were named on the men’s team.
April Allen, Danielle Carty, Daniela Cubelic, Anna Flessner, Deidre Freeman, Verity Hicks, Mary Sue LeMay, Kelsie Neubauer, Caitie Polz, Veronica Rydze and Katarina Tour were named on the women’s squad.
MEN’S 2011 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS RECAP
Iowa’s 200-freestyle relay consisting of Paul Gordon, Jordan Huff, Duncan Partridge and Ryan Phelan earned an invite to the NCAA Championships in the 200-freestyle relay. The quartet, which finished third at the 2011 Big Ten Championships with a school record time of 1:18.28, was the first Hawkeye relay to qualify for the Championship since the 1995 season. Gordon also qualified individually in the 200-free with a time of 1:34.95. He is the fourth Iowa swimmer in the last decade to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
With the team qualifying for a relay, all members of the relay who previously earned provisional NCAA `B’ cuts in individual events competed in those events. Along with the 200-free (1:35.67), Gordon competed in the 100-free, setting a school record with a time of 43.51 . Partridge compete in the 50 (20.09) and posted a collegiate best time in the 100-free (43.56). Phelan swam the 50-free (19.89), and Huff compete in the 200-free (1:37.45).
The 200 free relay placed 17th overall with a time of 1:19.15, while the 200 relay finished 15th with a time of 2:54.82.
HAWKEYES FINISH IN TOP 25
Iowa’s men’s swimming and diving team finished the dual meet season ranked 24th in the final TYR/CSCAA Men’s Division I poll. The Hawkeyes entered the polls ranked 22nd on Dec. 16 after a fast start to the season. The Hawkeyes ended the season with a dual meet record of 7-1 overall, 3-1 in the Big Ten. Iowa is one of seven Big Ten teams to finish the season ranked in the top 25. The others include Michigan (7), Ohio State (10), Indiana (12), Minnesota (15), Purdue (19) and Penn State (22). Iowa was last ranked 22nd in the country in the 2003-04 season.
DUAL MEET DOMINATION
Since 2008-09, the men’s swimming and diving team has complied 27-4 dual meet record. That mark includes a 10-1 record in 2009-10, which is the program’s best record since finishing 13-1 and placing second at the Big Ten Championships in 1987.
FREEMAN AND RYDZE AT NCAAs
Senior Deidre Freeman and junior Veronica Rydze earned berths to the 2011 NCAA Championships in the one and three-meter diving events. Rydze earned a collegiate best score on the one-meter springboard after placing13th with a score of 296.65. Freeman came in 15th overall with a score of 286.30.
Both divers advanced to the consolation finals round in the three-meter event. Freeman finished 10th overall with score of 370.65, while Rydze was injured during her first dive of the competition. She attempted a second dive before withdrawling due to the injury.
HEAD COACH Marc Long
Marc Long is in his seventh season as head coach for the University of Iowa swimming team. It is his sixth as head coach of the combined program. During his tenure as head coach of both programs, 17 school records have fallen and 39 Hawkeyes have provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships.
DIVING COACH Bob Rydze
Bob Rydze is in his 36th 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. 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 opened in August 2010 and is the new home of the Hawkeyes. It is located at the corner of Burlington and Madison streets and cost approximately $69 million. The facility includes a 50-meter competition pool, a separate diving well, a leisure pool with lap lanes and 24,000 square feet of fitness space.
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 10 18 times, crowning nine NCAA and 22 Big Ten Champions.
CAPTAINS COUNCIL
Eight student-athletes have been named to the 2010-11 Captains Council. April Allen, Danielle Carty, Daniela Cubelic, Max Dittmer, Bryan Hill, Jordan Huff, Ryan Phelan and Katarina Tour were each voted to the council by their peers and coaches.