Hawkeyes to Host Golden Gophers

Oct. 31, 2011

Complete Release

THIS WEEK
The University Iowa women’s swimming and diving team will host Minnesota on Friday at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Pool. The meet is set to begin at 5 p.m. The meet is Iowa’s “Black Out” meet, so fans attending the event are encouraged to wear black.

LIVE STATS
For live results from your computer or smart phone, visit: http://live.iowaswimming.com/swimming/ Free WiFi is available at the CRWC for all students and faculty.

EVENT PROMOTIONS
Fans can enter a chance to win two tickets to the Iowa vs. Michigan State football game Nov. 12 at Kinnick Stadium. Be sure to enter to win at the marketing table located in the pool gallery. The first 100 spectators will also receive a free Iowa swimming and diving t-shirt.

Hawkeye fans can also pick up 2011-12 swimming and diving posters, calendar cards, stickers and bumper stickers from the marketing table located in the pool gallery at the main entrance.

FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES
Become fans of the official Iowa swimming and diving page by going to http://www.facebook.com/IowaSwimmingandDiving to follow the Hawkeyes on Facebook. Fans can also follow the black and gold on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/IowaHawkeyeSwim.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
The Gopher women enter Friday’s competition against Iowa with a 4-0 record. The team opened the season and Big Ten action Oct. 7 with a win over Michigan (200-150). Minnesota also beat Iowa State (199-100) and Kansas (206-87). The squad’s last competition was Oct. 28 against Big Ten rival Wisconsin where the Gophers won 177-121.

Last season Minnesota finished with a 9-1 dual record and was 7-0 in the Big Ten. The Gophers only loss was to North Carolina (146-154). The team finished second at the Big Ten Championships with 578 points and went on to place ninth at the NCAA Championships (192 points).

Terry Nieszner enters her eighth season as head coach of the women’s team. She has led the Gophers to a Big Ten title (2008), three second-place Big Ten finishes and seven top-15 performances at the NCAA Championships. In the last five years with the women’s program, Minnesota finished at least 13th at the NCAA Championships, including a program-best ninth-place mark in 2011.

Kelly Kremer has been with the team for 13 seasons and oversees the Minnesota men and women’s swimming and diving programs.

Freshman Becky Stoughton set a school and pool record in the 400 IM with a time of 4:17.90 at Iowa’s meet against Michigan State on Oct. 29. The previous school record was set by Jennifer Skolaski in 2003 with a time of 4:20.14. Stoughton’s time was also a NCAA `B’ qualifying time.

She set the pool record in the 1,000 free at the University of Wisconsin’s Natatorium with a time of 9:51.32. The time marked a collegiate best for Stoughton and ranks fourth in school history.

She previously set three school records at Iowa’s annual black and gold intrasquad meet. She posted records in the 1,000 free (9:59.02), 200 free (1:50.51) and 500 free (4:53.42).

RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS
The women’s squad returns All-America diver Veronica Rydze. She earned the accolade after finishing 13th on the one-meter board (296.35) at the NCAA Championships.

LAST EVENT
The Hawkeyes dominated Michigan State in their Big Ten home opener Oct. 31 at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Pool. Iowa beat the Spartans, 184.5-93.5.

NEXT EVENT
Iowa will host Purdue on Nov. 18 at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. The competition will begin at 5 p.m.

HEAD COACH Marc Long
Marc Long is in his eighth season as head coach for the University of Iowa swimming team. It’s his seventh as head coach of the combined program. During his tenure as head coach of both programs, 36 school records have fallen and 74 Hawkeyes have provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships.

DIVING COACH Bob Rydze
Bob Rydze is in his 37th 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. During his tenure with the Hawkeyes, Rydze has coached 33 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 home for 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
Six student-athletes have been named to the 2011-12 Captains’ Council. Ryan Phelan, Jordan Huff and Kyle Noser will captain the men’s squad, while Daniela Cubelic, Danielle Carty and Haley Gordon will captain the women’s squad. The Captains’ Council was voted on by their peers and coaches.