Dec. 11, 2013
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THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa women’s swimming and diving travels to Ames, Iowa, on Friday for its annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk series match-up against Iowa State. The competition is slated to begin at 6 p.m. (CT) at the Beyer Hall Pool.
MEET CAPTAINS
Meet captains for the dual against Iowa State will be seniors Lindsay Seemann and Elise Borja, and redshirt junior Abby Grilli.
IOWA FINISHES 4TH AT HAWKEYE INVITE
Iowa finished fourth at the annual Hawkeye Invitational this past week, accumlating 436 points. Sophomore Olivia Kabacinski swam to a school record in the 100-free event during prelims. Her time of 49.48 is the first sub-50 time in program history. Colleen Champa swam to the second-fastest time in team history, touching out in 2:14.50. Freshman Calli Head posted a school record in the diving well when she claimed the platform title with ascore of 265.60.
IOWA CORN CY-HAWK SERIES HISTORY
Iowa has dominated the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk series against Iowa State. The Hawkeyes have won 7-of-9 duals, including the last three. Iowa dropped Iowa State by a 190-108 final last year in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes won 14-of-16 events in the dual.
SCOUTING IOWA STATE
Iowa State enters the meet with a 3-1-1 record, with wins over South Dakota, South Dakota State, and Nebraska-Omaha. The Cyclones dropped their most recent dual to TCU, while tying Nebraska in their season-opening meet. Iowa State recently took third at the Kansas Invitational, while the Cyclone divers competed this past weekend at the Hawkeye Invitational. Iowa State won three races at the Kansas Invitational, with Marissa Engel winning the 200-back, and Imelda Wistey claiming the 100 and 200-breast titles.
NCAA `B’ CUTS
The Hawkeyes have posted seven NCAA `B’ cut times on the season, with all seven times coming at the Hawkeye Invitational. Olivia Kabacinski leads the way with three `B’ cut times on the year (50-free, 100-free, 100-breast). Joining Kabacinski is Karolina Wartalowicz (100-breast and 200-breast), Lindsay Seemann (200-back), and Colleen Champa (200-breast).
TWO SCHOOL RECORDS FALL
The Hawkeyes broke a pair of school records last weekend at the Hawkeye Invitational. Sophomore Olivia Kabacinski swam to the first record in the 100-free, touching out in 49.48 to become the first Hawkeye to post a sub-50 time in the event. Freshman Calli Head set a school record in the platform event with a score of 265.60.
DIVING TO THE POSTSEASON
Redshirt juniors Abby Grilli and Joelle Christy have posted NCAA Zone Diving standards in both the one and three-meter events this year. Christy has led the way for the Hawkeyes on the one-meter event, posting a top score of 303.20. Grilli posted a season-best score of 319.05 on the three-meter springboard at the Hawkeye Invitational. Freshman Calli Head posted a school record and Zone Diving standard on the platform, when she won the Hawkeye Invite with a score of 265.60
KABACINSKI LEADING THE WAY
Sophomore Olivia Kabacinski is off to a fast start in 2013, highlighted by her performance against Michigan State and Northern Iowa on Oct. 18. The La Porte, Ind., native posted four first-place finishes at the meet. Kabacinski placed first in the 200-medley relay (1:45.46), 50-free (24.04), 100-free (51.91), and 400-free relay (3:31.75). On the season, Kabacinski has three NCAA `B’ cut times, as well as a school record in the 100-free (49.48). She is also pacing the team with four top times on the season.
SEEMANN SOARING
Senior Lindsay Seemann has been a key contributor to the Hawkeyes in her second season with the program. Seemann has posted the top time in two individual events, and was a part of the top time in two relay events. Most recently, Seemann finished in a season-best 1:59.03 in the 200-back at the Hawkeye Invitational — a time that qualifies for NCAA `B’ cut consideration.
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.
GRILLI EARNS DIVER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Redshirt junior Abby Grilli was named Big Ten Diver of the Week on Nov. 19. Grilli, competing in a pair of duals against Nebraska and South Dakota State, claimed the 1-meter title while taking third in the 3-meter event. In the 1-meter springboard, Grilli finished with a final score of 285.60 to claim the top spot, while finishing third in the 3-meter event with a score of 310.95. Both scores are NCAA Zone Diving standards, while Grilli’s 3-meter score is a new season best.
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.
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).
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
Iowa heads out west for its winter training trip, before returning home to host a quad-dual on Jan. 18. The Hawkeyes host Illinois and Indiana in conference duals and Missouri in nonconference action. The competition is slated to begin at 11 a.m (CT) at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Pool.