Hawkeyes Open Season in Windy City

Sept. 23, 2015

Weekly Notes — at UIC

• Read the September issue of Hawk Talk Monthly
• 2015-16 Iowa Swimming & Diving Media Guide
• Download your Hawk Talk Monthly iOS app
• Download your Hawk Talk Monthly android app
• Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
• Download your Iowa Hawkeye iPhone/iPad app
• Download your Iowa Hawkeye android app
• 24 Hawkeyes to Watch

  

  THIS WEEK
  The University of Iowa women’s swimming and diving team travels to the Windy City to face Illinois Chicago on Sept. 25-26 in its season-opener. The Hawkeyes and Flames will compete in a dual meet at the Flames Natatorium beginning at 4 p.m. (CT) on Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday.

  FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES
  Fans can follow the University of Iowa swimming and diving program on social media. Follow the Hawkeyes on Twitter (@IowaSwimDive), Facebook (facebook.com/IowaSwimmingandDiving), and Instagram (hawkeyeswimdive) for the latest news on the program.

  SOUGSTAD RETURNS TO FOLD
  Junior Emma Sougstad returns as the leader of the Iowa program after qualifying for the NCAA Championships in three events as a sophomore. The Forest City, Iowa, native holds school records in the 100 breast (59.96), 200 breast (2:11.20), 200 IM (1:58.74), 200-free relay (1:30.96), 200-medley relay (1:39.18), and 400-medley relay (3:38.68). She posted eight top-10 finishes at the 2015 Big Ten Championships, and finished 18th in the country in the 100 breast.

  OFF THE PLATFORM
  The Hawkeyes have two accomplished platform divers returning in 2015-16 with the return of juniors Calli Head and Lydia Lehnert. Head qualified for the NCAA Championships as a sophomore, finishing 40th nationally and tallied an eighth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships. Lehnert returns as the Iowa school record holder in the event, diving to a score of 312.20 at the 2015 Big Ten Championships

  TOP SPRINTER RETURNS
  The Hawkeyes have their top sprinter returning to the fold in 2015-16 in senior Olivia Kabacinski. The Indiana native is the school record holder in six events — 50 free (22.70), 100 free (49.61), and 200-free relay (1:30.96), 400-free relay (3:21.07), 800-free relay (7:12.49), and 200-medley relay (1:39.18). Kabacinski is the first Hawkeye sprinter to break the 50-second mark in the 100 free and one of two to go under 23 seconds in the 50 free.

  LEHNERTZ’S PAN AM EXPERIENCE
  Sophomore Tereysa Lehnertz competed on the international stage last summer, swimming for Puerto Rico at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto. The Iowa City, Iowa, native advanced to the”B” final in the 100-meter and 200-meter butterfly. As a freshman at Iowa, Lehnertz had the second-best times in the 100 and 200-yard fly. The 200 fly time (2:00.84) is third-fastest in school history.

  HAWKEYE NEWCOMERS
  The Hawkeyes feature seven newcomers on the 2015-16 roster, including Olivia Cook, Devin Jacobs, Natalie McGovern, Kelly McNamara, Abbey Schneider, Jacintha Thomas, and Katie Wells. The group has four athletes from Illinois, one from Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Four of the newcomers were high school All-Americans.

  HAWKEYE RETURNEES
  The Hawkeyes return their top performers in 8-of-14 swimming events, on the platform, and four of their top performers in relays in 2015-16. Iowa, which finished 38th at the 2015 NCAA Championships, has 24 letterwinners returning in total.

  A RECORD BREAKING YEAR
  The Hawkeyes had a record-breaking season in 2014-15, breaking 11 school records. Senior Olivia Kabacinski had the top time in the 100 free (49.61), Becky Stoughton in the 200 free (1:45.47), 500 free (4:39.76), 1,650 free (15:56.43), and 200 fly (1:58.28), Emma Sougstad in the 100 breast (59.96), 200 breast (2:11.20), and 200 IM (1:58.74), Carly O’Brien in the 100 fly (54.54), and Lydia Lehnert on the platform (312.20). Kabacinski, Sougstad, Meghan Lavelle, and Mekenna Scheitlin posted the school record in the 200-free relay (1:30.96), while Allie Orvis, Sougstad, O’Brien, and Kabacinski swam the program’s top time in the 200-medley relay (1:39.18). Lavelle, Sougstad, O’Brien, Stoughton also were part of the top 400-medley relay (3:38.68) in the Iowa record books.

  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.

  ON THE HORIZON
  The Hawkeyes will make their home debuts at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Natatorium on Oct. 9, hosting the annual intrasquad meet at 6 p.m. (CT).