Hawkeyes to Close Regular Season

Jan. 30, 2012

Complete Release

THIS WEEK
The 14th-ranked University of Iowa men’s swimming and diving team will host Western Illinois on Feb. 3 for the last dual meet of the season. The meet is set to start at 6 p.m. and will recognize Iowa’s senior class.

EVENT PROMOTIONS
Friday’s meet is Iowa’s “Camper Reunion” night. All those who have attended Iowa swimming camps are invited to attend the meet. The first 50 fans will receive FREE gold poms. There will be a raffle for $50 Scheels Gift Card. Fans can also register to win a one pair of tickets to the Women’s Big Ten Championships and Men’s Big Ten Championships.

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.

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.

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

SCOUTING WESTERN ILLINOIS
Western Illinois comes into Friday’s meet with a 0-6 record. The Leathernecks last competed against Milwaukee at home. The team lost 130-92.

Greg Nauman is in his third season has head coach of the Western Illinois swimming and diving program. In the 2010-11 season, Naumann saw 11 Leathernecks put their names in the record book.

Naumann took over at Western Illinois after serving as the assistant coach at Truman State where his responsibilities included serving as the primary recruiter for the men’s team, coordinating travel arrangements, organizing workouts and assisting the head coach in daily duties.

WEEKLY HONORS Ryan Phelan was named Big Ten Conference Swimmer of the Week on Nov. 1. The honor marked Phelan’s first career honor.

The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native earned the accolade after recording four first place finishes in Iowa’s dual meet victory over Michigan State on Oct. 29. He tallied individual wins in the 50-yard (20.20) and 100-yard free (45.74). He was also a member of the winning 200-yard medley (1:30.60) and 400-yard freestyle relays (3:03.86).

Phelan is the first Iowa men’s swimming student-athlete to claim Big Ten Swimmer of the Week honor since Conor Dwyer on Jan. 27, 2009.

Paul Gordon was selected as the Division I National Swimmer of the Week by collegeswimming.com on Nov. 8.

Gordon, a senior from Sioux Falls, S.D., earned the male swimmer of the week recognition with his performance in the dual meet victory over Minnesota. He posted NCAA “B” qualifying times in the 100-fly (48.30), 100-free (44.07) and 200-free (1:37.44) before anchoring the winning 400-free relay, which set a pool record.

HAWKEYES CRACK TOP-15
The University of Iowa men’s swimming and diving team is ranked 14th in the most recent College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) top 25 poll.

The Hawkeyes debuted at No. 10 in the dual meet rankings after downing Minnesota on Nov. 4 at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center.

Iowa is one of five Big Ten Conference schools ranked among the top 25, along with Michigan (4), Ohio State (9), Purdue (17) and Minnesota (16).

The Hawkeyes rank among the top 10 nationally in three events in the 2011-12 season: – 50 Free, Ryan Phelan (19.77), 10th – 200 Free Relay (1:18.81), ninth – 400 Free Relay (2:54.78), 10th

Iowa finished the 2010-11 season ranked 24th in the final TYP/CSCAA Men’s Division I poll.

DOWNING RECORDS
Last season’s Big Ten runner-up in the 50 free, Ryan Phelan, beat his CRWC pool record with a time of 19.88. Phelan previously held the record (19.90), which he set Nov. 4 at Iowa’s win over Minnesota.

Phelan also set the pool record in the 50 free with a time of 20.27 at Wisconsin’s Natatorium. The previous record was held by former Hawkeye and Big Ten champion, Tom Williams, which was set in 1988.

Duncan Partridge, Ryan Phelan, Jordan Huff and Paul Gordon set the CRWC pool record in the 400 free relay with a time of 2:57.31 The quartet set the record Nov. 18 when the Hawkeyes beat Purdue 155-145, but fell to Ohio State, 163-137.

Sophomore Manuel Belzer set the pool record at the Rolfs Aquatics Center on the campus of Notre Dame in the 1,650 free. Belzer set the record Jan. 28 when the Hawkeyes beat Notre Dame 216-154 at the Shamrock Invitational.

RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS
The men’s squad returns all four members of the 400 free relay that earned All-America honors at the 2011 NCAA Championships. Paul Gordon, Jordan Huff, Duncan Partridge and Ryan Phelan placed 15th (2:54.82) in the relay to earn All-America accolades.

DUAL MEET DOMINATION
Since 2008-09, the men’s swimming and diving team has compiled 33-6 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.

LAST EVENT
The Hawkeyes dominated Notre Dame 216-154 on Jan. 27-28 at the Shamrock Invitational.

NEXT EVENT
Friday’s meet against Western Illinois marks the last regular season dual meet of the season. The Hawkeyes will have a two-week break before hosting the Big Ten Championships Feb. 22-25.

BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
The University of Iowa hosts the 2012 Big Ten Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships on Feb. 22-25 at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center in Iowa City, Iowa.

Visit the official Championship page at hawkeyesports.com/sports/m-swim for information on tickets, travel, parking, results, schedule of events and more.

Iowa previously hosted the 1934, 1941, 1948, 1953, 1958, 1966 and 1982 Big Ten Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships at the UI Field House.

Iowa will also be host to the 2012 Women’s Big Ten Swimming and Diving Championships on Feb. 15-18. The same site has not hosted both men and women’s Big Ten Championship meets since 1987 and 1988 when they were held in Indianapolis

HEAD COACH Marc Long
Marc Long is in his eighth season as head coach of 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.