Women's Swimming and Diving Host Michigan State, Northern Iowa

Women's Swimming and Diving Host Michigan State, Northern Iowa

Oct. 16, 2013

Weekly Notes

THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa women’s swimming and diving team opens its home dual slate Friday in Iowa City, Iowa, hosting Michigan State and Northern Iowa. The action will begin at 4 p.m. (CT) at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Pool.

LIVE RESULTS
Fans can follow the intrasquad meet via live results by following this link (http://www.livestats.hawkeyesports.com).

PROMOTIONS
All kids who attend the meet will receive free pizza, play life-sized board games, and have the opportunity to get autographs from their favorite Hawkeyes after the dual.

BLACK SQUAD CLAIMS INTRASQUAD MEET
The black squad downed the gold team, 122-104, on Oct. 11 at the Black & Gold Intrasquad Meet at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Pool. Senior Lindsay Seemann led the black squad, posting three event wins. She got the evening started by swimming the lead leg of the 200-medley relay (1:44.36). She was joined on the relay by seniors Karolina Wartalowicz and Abbey Tuchscherer and sophomore Olivia Kabacinski. Freshman Serena Wanasek posted a first and two second place finishes. She posted the top time in the 500 free (5:11.90), while finishing as runner-up in the 1,000 free (10:41.36) and as a member of the 200-free relay (1:37.30) along with Emma Sougstad, Emily Hovren and Hannah Maher.

HAWKEYES SET WORLD RECORD
The University of Iowa swimming and diving team swam to a World Record in the 200 short course meters mixed-medley relay at the Michigan Water Carnival. In the second-to-last event, the Hawkeyes swam to a World Record time when seniors Dustin Rhoads and Andrew Marciniak, junior Haley Gordon and sophomore Olivia Kabacinski finished with a time of 1:47.61. Iowa also bested a previous World Record time in the mixed 200-meter freestyle relay when sophomore Jackson Allen, senior Gianni Sesto, freshman Emma Sougstad and sophomore Allie Orvis posted a time of 1:40.26. Michigan took down the old record, finishing in 1:36.78.

SOUGSTAD EARNS FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK HONORS
Freshman Emma Sougstad was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Oct.1. Sougstad, competing in her first collegiate dual at Michigan on Sept. 27, won the 50-yard freestyle, touching out in 23.84. The Forest City, Iowa, native also tallied second place finishes in the 200-yard IM (2:05.87) and the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:32.51). In the freestyle relay, Sougstad swam the anchor leg for the Hawkeyes, finishing in 3:32.51. She rounded out the meet by placing third in the 200-yard medley relay (1:45.92), in which she swam the second leg.

SEASON RECAP
The Hawkeyes enter the 2013-14 season after posting an 8-2 dual meet record, including a 4-2 mark in Big Ten meets. Iowa finished the season with a 10th place finish at the Big Ten Championships.

HAWKEYE NEWCOMERS
The women’s team features five newcomers to this year’s roster. Taylor Flummerfelt, Calli Head, Lydia Lehnert, Emma Sougstad, and Serena Wanasek all join the team. This group of five women features two athletes from Wisconsin, one from Iowa and one from Maryland.

OFF THE HIGH DIVE
The Iowa diving team returns a vetern lineup, led by senior Abby Grilli and redshirt junior Joelle Christy. Grilli, a team captain last year, posted a team high score of 354.10 on the three-meter boards, while Christy led the team on one-meter and platform diving with scores of 313.35 and 234.74, respectively. Grilli, Christy, along with teammate Lauren Kelba all qualified for NCAA Zone Diving last season before falling just short of making the finals.

KABACINSKI SPRINTING TO THE TOP
Sophomore Olivia Kabacinski was the top sprinter for the Hawkeyes last season. Kabacinski led the team in the 50 free (22.88), 100 free (50.30), 200 free (1:48.32) and 100 breaststroke (1:02.30). She posted NCAA “B” qualifying times in the 50 free and 100 breaststroke.

RECORD BREAKING YEAR
The Hawkeyes come into this season after breaking five school records throughout the course of last season. Individually, Olivia Kabacinski (50 free – 22.88), Lindsay Seemann (200 back – 1:56.49), Becky Stoughton (200 fly – 1:59.68), and Emily Hovren (200 IM – 2:00.42) all broke school recrods in their respective event. The team of Heather Arseth, Karolina Wartalowicz, Abby Tuchscherer, and Kabacinski set the record in the 200 medley relay (1:40.97).

CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON
Four Hawkeyes competed in the U.S. Open Championships this past summer in Irvine, Calif. Emily Hovren, Karolina Wartalowicz, Becky Stoughton, and Olivia Kabacinski all competed in the national event. For Hovren, it was her second national event of the summer, as she competed at the Phillips 66 National Championships in Indianapolis.

2012-2013 MVP
Lindsay Seemann returns to lead the Hawkeyes after earning team most valuable player honors as a junior. Seemann is the UI school record-holder in 200 backstroke (1:56.49) and as a member of the 800-free relay (7:14.99). She was the team’s high point scorer at the Big Ten Championships.

ACADEMIC HONORS
Two members from the 2012-13 women’s team were named Honorable Mention Scholar All-America. Heather Arseth and senior Karolina Wartalowicz were named All-America. Wartalowicz was also named an honorable mention in 2011-12. The team was acknowledged as an All-America team for the ninth consecutive year. In all, 24 women have been named to the CSCAA Scholar All-America list during coach Long’s tenure.

HEAD COACH MARC LONG
Marc Long is in his 10th season as head coach for the University of Iowa swimming team. It’s his eighth as head coach of the combined program. During his tenure as head coach of both programs, 75 school records have fallen and 112 Hawkeyes have provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships.

COACHING ADDITIONS
Brandon King is in his first season as an assistant coach with the University of Iowa swimming and diving program. King joins the Hawkeyes out of Naperville, Ill., where he served as a senior assistant coach alongside decorated head coach Dave Krotiak for the Fox Valley Swim Team from 2011-13. During his time with the program, King assisted the Illinois Senior Coach of the Year and coached multiple swimmers competing at the Junior Nationals, Grand Prix meets and Olympic Trials.

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 AND DIVING 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.

NEXT EVENT
The Hawkeyes return to action Nov. 11 in Iowa City, Iowa, for a conference dual against Minnesota. The competition is slated to begin at 5 p.m. (CT) at the CRWC.